Robert Armstrong's ActivityTypepadTypepadtag:typepad.com,2003:profile.typepad.com/services/activity/atom/tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/personhttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970btag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8f732970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2014-02-10T04:37:54Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73e18a970dIt's OK to be OVERWEIGHT, just don't be a little too THINhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2014-02-10T04:37:53Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I watched the finale of the reality show, “The Biggest Loser” a few days ago.&#0160; For those of you who are unfamiliar with this program; the basis of the show is to select approximately a dozen participants who are morbidly obese and submit them to an intense program that involves diet and extreme workouts coached by celebrity trainers that yell and scream , often bringing the participants to tears when these extremely overweight individuals stuggle through their workouts (I guess it&#39;s good for ratings).&#0160; After each week, the person with the lowest weekly weight loss is kicked off the show.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Julian Michaels" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Julian Michaels" /></a><br />This blog post isn’t to discuss the program’s training methods that most professional trainers find to be highly questionable, but the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2553630/Biggest-Loser-trainer-Bob-Harper-distances-controversy-winner-Rachel-Frederickson-weighs-105lbs.html" target="_blank" title="Biggest Loser Reaction">reaction</a> directed towards the young women that won the $250,000 and the title of being the “Biggest Loser”. &#0160;Rachel Frederickson who used to be a national class swimmer started the show, (which runs over a number of months), at an extremely unhealthy 260lbs and finished at an incredible 105lbs, an astonishing weight loss of 60% of her original body weight!&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rachel-frederickson-biggest-loser" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d-800wi" title="Rachel-frederickson-biggest-loser" /></a></p> <p>As I mention above, the extreme methods employed by the show’s trainers to get these people to lose this incredible amount of weight in such a short period is highly questionable.&#0160; That being said, the social media network lit up like a Christmas tree immediately after Rachel lost the highest percentage of her original weight (which, let’s not forget is the objective of the show), and was severely critical of&#0160;the 24 year old for being too thin and appearing unhealthy.&#0160; I find this criticism is a direct reflection of how “health illiterate” North Americans have become.&#0160;</p> <p>When Rachel first weighed in at the beginning of the show’s season, she was 116lbs overweight with a morbidly obese BMI of 44.6!&#0160; When she finished, she had a BMI of 18.0, which is 0.5 underweight, or 3lbs for her 5&#39;4&quot; height.&#0160; Currently in North America (Canadians and Americans), there are 245,000,000 citizens that are either overweight or obese.&#0160; I found the outrage over this young women’s final weight disturbing.&#0160; When was the last time you saw this kind of outrage directed&#0160;towards anyone that is&#0160;just 3lbs <strong>overweight</strong>?&#0160; <strong>NEVER!</strong></p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Biggest Loser Winner" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Biggest Loser Winner" /></a><br />I find there’s a double standard when it comes to weight.&#0160; I&#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Pierre LeClaire">coached a guy&#0160;</a>who was an obese 245lbs by changing his diet and trained him to compete in the grueling 200km Etape de Tour bike race in France. After 10 months of healthy eating and a daily structured cycling program, he successfully completed the race and weighed a healthy 165lbs (a loss of 80 pounds of fat). His only complaint is how many of his friends and family feel compelled to tell him how unhealthy he looks, even though he’s the healthiest and fittest he’s ever been.&#0160; And that no one ever told him he looked unhealthy when he was obese.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Before</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b img-responsive" height="587" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Before" width="483" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>After</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter after 2013" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c-800wi" title="Peter after 2013" /></a><br /></strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;">It seems thin people are open game and criticized for being thin, even though they sport a healthy weight.&#0160; I also experienced this phenomenon last year when I was in training for Haute Route (7 day stage race from Geneva to Nice through the French Alps).&#0160; I monitored my weight, body fat and lean muscle mass regularly to ensure I never jeopardized my health.&#0160; But that didn’t stop people from telling me that I looked unhealthy, even though I was in the best condition of my life.&#0160; By comparison, it’s socially unacceptable to show concern and point out that someone is overweight or&#0160;obese.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG-20130817-00917" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b-800wi" title="IMG-20130817-00917" /></a><br /><br />The health consequences associated with the overweight and obesity epidemic&#0160;are well documented and understood, and it&#39;s cripling our healthcare system.&#0160; If only we had a general population consisting of people that were only 3lbs underweight; we wouldn’t have many of the health problems and costs associated with Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Joint Degeneration, Workplace Productivity, Cancer&#0160;and many more health issues.&#0160;&#0160; In fact, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&amp;Cmd=ShowDetailView&amp;TermToSearch=7637744&amp;ordinalpos=13&amp;itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" target="_blank" title="Healthy Thin">studies</a> have indicated that people that are slightly underweight live longer and healthier lives when compared to their normal weight, overweight and obese counterparts.</p> <p>I think this unwarranted criticism of Ms. Frederickson is the result of a general population that can no longer recognize what healthy looks like, and when they see a person that’s healthy thin, they immediately associate them with some kind of unhealthy eating disorder.&#0160; Instead of ostracizing this young woman for being 3lbs underweight, I’d like to see people&#0160;with weight issues focus their attention and energy on themselves byeating a healthy diet and&#0160;being more&#0160;active.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b-800wi" title="Ventoux" /></a><br /><br /></p> <p>I watched the finale of the reality show, “The Biggest Loser” a few days ago.&#0160; For those of you who are unfamiliar with this program; the basis of the show is to select approximately a dozen participants who are morbidly obese and submit them to an intense program that involves diet and extreme workouts coached by celebrity trainers that yell and scream , often bringing the participants to tears when these extremely overweight individuals stuggle through their workouts (I guess it&#39;s good for ratings).&#0160; After each week, the person with the lowest weekly weight loss is kicked off the show.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Julian Michaels" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73dd9d970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Julian Michaels" /></a><br />This blog post isn’t to discuss the program’s training methods that most professional trainers find to be highly questionable, but the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2553630/Biggest-Loser-trainer-Bob-Harper-distances-controversy-winner-Rachel-Frederickson-weighs-105lbs.html" target="_blank" title="Biggest Loser Reaction">reaction</a> directed towards the young women that won the $250,000 and the title of being the “Biggest Loser”. &#0160;Rachel Frederickson who used to be a national class swimmer started the show, (which runs over a number of months), at an extremely unhealthy 260lbs and finished at an incredible 105lbs, an astonishing weight loss of 60% of her original body weight!&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rachel-frederickson-biggest-loser" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a73d73ddd9970d-800wi" title="Rachel-frederickson-biggest-loser" /></a></p> <p>As I mention above, the extreme methods employed by the show’s trainers to get these people to lose this incredible amount of weight in such a short period is highly questionable.&#0160; That being said, the social media network lit up like a Christmas tree immediately after Rachel lost the highest percentage of her original weight (which, let’s not forget is the objective of the show), and was severely critical of&#0160;the 24 year old for being too thin and appearing unhealthy.&#0160; I find this criticism is a direct reflection of how “health illiterate” North Americans have become.&#0160;</p> <p>When Rachel first weighed in at the beginning of the show’s season, she was 116lbs overweight with a morbidly obese BMI of 44.6!&#0160; When she finished, she had a BMI of 18.0, which is 0.5 underweight, or 3lbs for her 5&#39;4&quot; height.&#0160; Currently in North America (Canadians and Americans), there are 245,000,000 citizens that are either overweight or obese.&#0160; I found the outrage over this young women’s final weight disturbing.&#0160; When was the last time you saw this kind of outrage directed&#0160;towards anyone that is&#0160;just 3lbs <strong>overweight</strong>?&#0160; <strong>NEVER!</strong></p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Biggest Loser Winner" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8d9f5970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Biggest Loser Winner" /></a><br />I find there’s a double standard when it comes to weight.&#0160; I&#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Pierre LeClaire">coached a guy&#0160;</a>who was an obese 245lbs by changing his diet and trained him to compete in the grueling 200km Etape de Tour bike race in France. After 10 months of healthy eating and a daily structured cycling program, he successfully completed the race and weighed a healthy 165lbs (a loss of 80 pounds of fat). His only complaint is how many of his friends and family feel compelled to tell him how unhealthy he looks, even though he’s the healthiest and fittest he’s ever been.&#0160; And that no one ever told him he looked unhealthy when he was obese.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Before</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b img-responsive" height="587" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8de8f970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Before" width="483" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>After</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter after 2013" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511688a12970c-800wi" title="Peter after 2013" /></a><br /></strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;">It seems thin people are open game and criticized for being thin, even though they sport a healthy weight.&#0160; I also experienced this phenomenon last year when I was in training for Haute Route (7 day stage race from Geneva to Nice through the French Alps).&#0160; I monitored my weight, body fat and lean muscle mass regularly to ensure I never jeopardized my health.&#0160; But that didn’t stop people from telling me that I looked unhealthy, even though I was in the best condition of my life.&#0160; By comparison, it’s socially unacceptable to show concern and point out that someone is overweight or&#0160;obese.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG-20130817-00917" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8db57970b-800wi" title="IMG-20130817-00917" /></a><br /><br />The health consequences associated with the overweight and obesity epidemic&#0160;are well documented and understood, and it&#39;s cripling our healthcare system.&#0160; If only we had a general population consisting of people that were only 3lbs underweight; we wouldn’t have many of the health problems and costs associated with Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Joint Degeneration, Workplace Productivity, Cancer&#0160;and many more health issues.&#0160;&#0160; In fact, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&amp;Cmd=ShowDetailView&amp;TermToSearch=7637744&amp;ordinalpos=13&amp;itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" target="_blank" title="Healthy Thin">studies</a> have indicated that people that are slightly underweight live longer and healthier lives when compared to their normal weight, overweight and obese counterparts.</p> <p>I think this unwarranted criticism of Ms. Frederickson is the result of a general population that can no longer recognize what healthy looks like, and when they see a person that’s healthy thin, they immediately associate them with some kind of unhealthy eating disorder.&#0160; Instead of ostracizing this young woman for being 3lbs underweight, I’d like to see people&#0160;with weight issues focus their attention and energy on themselves byeating a healthy diet and&#0160;being more&#0160;active.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fcb8dc1b970b-800wi" title="Ventoux" /></a><br /><br /></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01a3fc761382970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2014-01-19T21:30:56Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fc75ccf2970bWhat's your "BHAG" that will keep you active?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2014-01-19T21:30:56Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I have to be honest; I’m having a little trouble finding my motivation this year as I switch from off season maintenance training to hard core preparation for the upcoming cycling season.&#0160; The problem is I don’t have a <strong>BHAG</strong> (I’ll explain that in a minute).&#0160; Sure, I still work out every day; this will never change, but something is missing.&#0160; I even have a new bike with a power meter that’s introducing me to a whole new way of training that I’m sure will improve my performance.&#0160; But I’m having trouble “amp-ing” up the emotional side of my training.&#0160; Unlike last year I don’t have the same “fire-in-the-belly” kind of motivation, because I don’t have what Jim Collins, the author of “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Essentials/dp/0060516402" target="_blank" title="Built to Last">Built to Last</a>”, calls a “<strong>Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)</strong>”.&#0160; This time last year I was well into training and preparing for the world’s hardest amateur bike race, Haute Route.&#0160; Just thinking about Haute Route scared the hell out of me and there’s nothing like a little fear to motivate a person, or in my case, a lot of fear.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="HR Profile" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c-800wi" title="HR Profile" /></a></p> <p>In his book, Mr Collins defines a <strong>BHAG</strong>,as, “<em>a strategic goal which is created to focus an organization (or individual) on a single medium-long term goal which is audacious, likely to be externally questionable, but not internally regarded as impossible</em>”.&#0160; In the world of amateur cycling, I can’t think of anything that can focus one’s attention more than the thought of competing against 600 of the world’s best amateur cyclists, over 800 km+ in 7 days through the French Alps, with over 20,000 meters (70,000 feet) of climbing.&#0160; Haute Route surely qualified as my BHAG for 2013 and short of doing it again this year; there’s a big void to fill.</p> <p>I often suggest to people that are new to exercise or adopting new lifelong healthy habits, that in the absence of tangible, measurable goals that align with a larger purpose, they’re more likely to quit and fall back into their old habits.&#0160; And goals that are beyond a person’s reach today, but achievable if they really apply themselves are even better.&#0160; For example, I signed up to my first Ironman when I could barely swim.&#0160; Again, <strong>FEAR</strong> of failure is a great motivator.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" /></a><br />I coached a guy a few years ago who was 75lbs overweight.&#0160; Instead of setting a goal to lose this excess weight like they do on the popular TV reality show the “Biggest Loser”, we focused on 9 months of preparing for the Chicago Marathon.&#0160; His diet and training supported a tangible and measurable goal that wasn’t rooted in vanity.&#0160; The inevitable, “set-in-stone” start date of the Chicago Marathon wasn’t going to change; it didn’t care what he weighed, or how he looked, it only cares that he focus on the right stuff in preparation, because if he didn’t, it would chew him up and spit him out.&#0160; I also suggested that he tell as many of his friends and family about his audacious goal and Facebook was great vehicle for this.&#0160; Not only did it make it impossible to back out, especially after telling so many people, but he also received amazing support.&#0160; He shared his 9 month journey from obesity to good health with regular updates and I’m sure he inspired a few people along the way.&#0160; Not only did he successfully complete the marathon, he dropped his weight from 245lbs to 168lbs and more importantly, he sets an annual BHAG to keep him committed to his health.</p> <p>Only 8% of people stick to their health related New Year’s Resolutions and I myself fall into this small category.&#0160; In 1979, I decided to lose the extra 35lbs I gained while living a sedentary lifestyle during my time at college and the first couple years of working.&#0160; I didn’t exercise at all, and my diet consisted primarily of pizza and McDonalds.&#0160; It was also at this time that my mother was dying of cancer, so I made a New Year’s Resolution to make my health a lifelong priority and my first BHAG was to run the Toronto Eaton’s 10K road race in May of that year (only 5 months away), in under 40 minutes.&#0160; I hadn’t run a single step since my high school track days, so to just finish a 10k race was a stretch.&#0160; Instead of setting a goal of simply losing the extra fat I packed on over those years, I set a tangible target that required planning, training and commitment.&#0160; The muscle soreness and fatigue I felt after running my first mile of training on January 1st was probably my greatest motivator.&#0160; The more I ran, the better I felt and the better my diet became, as I realized how interconnected exercise and diet were.&#0160; And even though I wasn’t focused on my weight, it seemed to just take care of itself, as I went from 195lbs to 150lbs in 5 months.&#0160; So by the time May rolled around, I not only lost 45lbs, but I also ran the 10K race in 36:45 and placed 51<sup>st</sup> out of 10,000+ participants.&#0160; Ever since then, I’ve been setting annual goals (like riding from Toronto to Ft Lauderdale Florida in 1982) that supported my lifelong commitment to health (my purpose).</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob and Brazeau" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rob and Brazeau" /></a><br />Motivation comes from many places, for example, I love reading about, or meeting people that set BHAG’s for themselves and it’s all the more impressive when these people are in their 80’s, 90’s or older, and are engaged in activities generally considered unnatural for their peer group.&#0160; In this blog, I often speak about my own father, who’s run the equivalent of 2.5 times around the planet since he started running at the age of 59, and now in his 89<sup>th</sup> year he still does his daily 5km - 10km walk/jog; or 86 year old Link Lindquisty who I met this past summer in the South of France, who’s the oldest human to cycled up and down all three sides of the infamous Mt. Ventoux in a single day, and he has his sights set on running the Western States 100 mile race when he turns 100 (how’s that for setting a huge BHAG).</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3387 - Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_3387 - Web" /></a><br />But the star of motivation has to be Frenchman, Robert Marchand who two years ago set the world 1 hour cycling record (24.251 km) and 100km (4h 17m) for a human over 100.&#0160; And if that wasn’t enough, Mr Marchand is at it again in an attempt to break his own world record at the amazing age of 102!&#0160; (Read his amazing full story below).</p> <p>So find whatever motivates you to get your ass off the couch and live a healthy and active lifestyle and the following 4 tips will help get going and keep you going:</p> <ol> <li>Set a goal that’s measurable and is aligned with a greater purpose (it’s too easy to quit without purpose)</li> <li>Set goals that scare you a little, (or even a lot).&#0160; Plan to do something you’ve never done before, or is above your present level requireing preparation, commitment and resolve,</li> <li>Tell everyone you know, or meet about your goal and be an inspiration for someone else; <strong>positive energy is contagious</strong>,</li> <li>And most of all…..Enjoy the Ride</li> </ol> <p>Rob &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCA0165 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d img-responsive" height="196" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d-800wi" title="Orig-HRCA0165 - web" width="300" /></a></p> <h1>Marchand to make new hour record attempt at 102 years of age</h1> <p><strong><em>Frenchman continues to inspire and to astound scientists </em></strong></p> <p>&#0160; <a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Robert Marchand 100km" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Robert Marchand 100km" /></a></p> <p>After previously setting marks for the hour record and 100 kilometres at over 100 years of age, French inspiration Robert Marchand is at it again; now almost 102 years old, he is planning to once again extend his hour record mark. <br /><br />On February 17th of last year he travelled to the World Cycling Centre is Aigle, Switzerland, and rode 24.251 kilometres in an hour. He had been instructed beforehand by doctors not to exceed 110 beats per minute, and so rode within himself to go at that speed. <br /><br />“I’m not playing at being a champion,” he said then. “I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday.”<br /><br />On September 28th he was at it again, heading to the Parc de la Tête d’Or Velodrome in Lyon and riding 300 laps. He covered the 100 kilometre distance in four hours 17 minutes 27 seconds, again setting a new standard. <br /><br />Once again, he showed modesty about the achievement. “I feel like a guy who is a hundred years old, I feel good. I’m an ordinary guy,” he said then. “I rode a bike for 52 years, it is not new today.”<br /><br />Now he wants to try the hour record once more, with INSERM [Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, or National Institute of Health and Medical Research – ed.] professor Véronique Billat announcing the bid today. <br /><br />“We prepare Robert Marchand for the world record of an hour above 25 km/h in January he will be 102 yrs old,” she wrote on Twitter. “He improved his VO2max (35) and his maximal power by 10% by the strength component, especially 2.65 w/kg of full body mass with 13% fat mass.”<br /><br />Marchand’s birthday takes place this month and he’s continuing to push the limits for his age. <br /><br />He trains regularly, lives alone, is self-sufficient and continues to drive. He is just five feet tall (1m52), but is in superb health.<br /><br />Born in 1911, Marchand started cycling at 14 years of age, then later left France and lived in Canada and Venezuela. He worked as a fireman, market gardener, show salesman and wine dealer, and competed as an amateur boxer. He returned to cycling in 1978 at 67 years of age, building up the distances and training with riders who were far younger than he was.<br /><br />He finally retired from work at 89 years of age and around that time rode the Bordeaux-Paris event. He covered the 600 kilometres in 36 hours. More recently, he’s limited the distance, although he still does a considerable amount. “For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more than 100km,” he said in February of last year, when he lay down an age-related hour record of 24.251 kilometres.<br /><br />“There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some time yet.”<br /><br />Prior to setting his 100 kilometre age record last September, he was asked if he would use any performance-enhancing substances during his attempt. “The only doping for me is water with a spoonful of honey that I put in my canteen [water bottle] - that&#39;s it,” he answered then, before joking, “if I was doping, though, maybe I could hit 35 km/h.”<br /><br />He explained his key to life, and fitness. “I am lucky that I haven’t had any major health problems. My advice to anyone, young or old, is to keep moving. I do ‘physical culture’ every day. It works out my whole body and keeps me supple.<br /><br />“Some people when they reach 80 years old, start playing cards and they stay immobile. Not me. I’ve never been able to keep still…”<br /><br />Marchand’s extraordinary physical shape has captivated the attention of many, not least the scientists at the Inserm public research institute. They study him every three months, and are impressed by what they see.<br /><br />“They told me I had the constitution of a 55-year-old man, they think it&#39;s genetic,” he told Reuters last year. “I have never deprived myself of anything: not wine, not food, not women, but always with moderation.”</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HMSF5JJqql8?start=181&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>I have to be honest; I’m having a little trouble finding my motivation this year as I switch from off season maintenance training to hard core preparation for the upcoming cycling season.&#0160; The problem is I don’t have a <strong>BHAG</strong> (I’ll explain that in a minute).&#0160; Sure, I still work out every day; this will never change, but something is missing.&#0160; I even have a new bike with a power meter that’s introducing me to a whole new way of training that I’m sure will improve my performance.&#0160; But I’m having trouble “amp-ing” up the emotional side of my training.&#0160; Unlike last year I don’t have the same “fire-in-the-belly” kind of motivation, because I don’t have what Jim Collins, the author of “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Essentials/dp/0060516402" target="_blank" title="Built to Last">Built to Last</a>”, calls a “<strong>Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)</strong>”.&#0160; This time last year I was well into training and preparing for the world’s hardest amateur bike race, Haute Route.&#0160; Just thinking about Haute Route scared the hell out of me and there’s nothing like a little fear to motivate a person, or in my case, a lot of fear.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="HR Profile" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124e7fd970c-800wi" title="HR Profile" /></a></p> <p>In his book, Mr Collins defines a <strong>BHAG</strong>,as, “<em>a strategic goal which is created to focus an organization (or individual) on a single medium-long term goal which is audacious, likely to be externally questionable, but not internally regarded as impossible</em>”.&#0160; In the world of amateur cycling, I can’t think of anything that can focus one’s attention more than the thought of competing against 600 of the world’s best amateur cyclists, over 800 km+ in 7 days through the French Alps, with over 20,000 meters (70,000 feet) of climbing.&#0160; Haute Route surely qualified as my BHAG for 2013 and short of doing it again this year; there’s a big void to fill.</p> <p>I often suggest to people that are new to exercise or adopting new lifelong healthy habits, that in the absence of tangible, measurable goals that align with a larger purpose, they’re more likely to quit and fall back into their old habits.&#0160; And goals that are beyond a person’s reach today, but achievable if they really apply themselves are even better.&#0160; For example, I signed up to my first Ironman when I could barely swim.&#0160; Again, <strong>FEAR</strong> of failure is a great motivator.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b05019c24970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" /></a><br />I coached a guy a few years ago who was 75lbs overweight.&#0160; Instead of setting a goal to lose this excess weight like they do on the popular TV reality show the “Biggest Loser”, we focused on 9 months of preparing for the Chicago Marathon.&#0160; His diet and training supported a tangible and measurable goal that wasn’t rooted in vanity.&#0160; The inevitable, “set-in-stone” start date of the Chicago Marathon wasn’t going to change; it didn’t care what he weighed, or how he looked, it only cares that he focus on the right stuff in preparation, because if he didn’t, it would chew him up and spit him out.&#0160; I also suggested that he tell as many of his friends and family about his audacious goal and Facebook was great vehicle for this.&#0160; Not only did it make it impossible to back out, especially after telling so many people, but he also received amazing support.&#0160; He shared his 9 month journey from obesity to good health with regular updates and I’m sure he inspired a few people along the way.&#0160; Not only did he successfully complete the marathon, he dropped his weight from 245lbs to 168lbs and more importantly, he sets an annual BHAG to keep him committed to his health.</p> <p>Only 8% of people stick to their health related New Year’s Resolutions and I myself fall into this small category.&#0160; In 1979, I decided to lose the extra 35lbs I gained while living a sedentary lifestyle during my time at college and the first couple years of working.&#0160; I didn’t exercise at all, and my diet consisted primarily of pizza and McDonalds.&#0160; It was also at this time that my mother was dying of cancer, so I made a New Year’s Resolution to make my health a lifelong priority and my first BHAG was to run the Toronto Eaton’s 10K road race in May of that year (only 5 months away), in under 40 minutes.&#0160; I hadn’t run a single step since my high school track days, so to just finish a 10k race was a stretch.&#0160; Instead of setting a goal of simply losing the extra fat I packed on over those years, I set a tangible target that required planning, training and commitment.&#0160; The muscle soreness and fatigue I felt after running my first mile of training on January 1st was probably my greatest motivator.&#0160; The more I ran, the better I felt and the better my diet became, as I realized how interconnected exercise and diet were.&#0160; And even though I wasn’t focused on my weight, it seemed to just take care of itself, as I went from 195lbs to 150lbs in 5 months.&#0160; So by the time May rolled around, I not only lost 45lbs, but I also ran the 10K race in 36:45 and placed 51<sup>st</sup> out of 10,000+ participants.&#0160; Ever since then, I’ve been setting annual goals (like riding from Toronto to Ft Lauderdale Florida in 1982) that supported my lifelong commitment to health (my purpose).</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob and Brazeau" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c image-full img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124c9e9970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rob and Brazeau" /></a><br />Motivation comes from many places, for example, I love reading about, or meeting people that set BHAG’s for themselves and it’s all the more impressive when these people are in their 80’s, 90’s or older, and are engaged in activities generally considered unnatural for their peer group.&#0160; In this blog, I often speak about my own father, who’s run the equivalent of 2.5 times around the planet since he started running at the age of 59, and now in his 89<sup>th</sup> year he still does his daily 5km - 10km walk/jog; or 86 year old Link Lindquisty who I met this past summer in the South of France, who’s the oldest human to cycled up and down all three sides of the infamous Mt. Ventoux in a single day, and he has his sights set on running the Western States 100 mile race when he turns 100 (how’s that for setting a huge BHAG).</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3387 - Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a51124d167970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_3387 - Web" /></a><br />But the star of motivation has to be Frenchman, Robert Marchand who two years ago set the world 1 hour cycling record (24.251 km) and 100km (4h 17m) for a human over 100.&#0160; And if that wasn’t enough, Mr Marchand is at it again in an attempt to break his own world record at the amazing age of 102!&#0160; (Read his amazing full story below).</p> <p>So find whatever motivates you to get your ass off the couch and live a healthy and active lifestyle and the following 4 tips will help get going and keep you going:</p> <ol> <li>Set a goal that’s measurable and is aligned with a greater purpose (it’s too easy to quit without purpose)</li> <li>Set goals that scare you a little, (or even a lot).&#0160; Plan to do something you’ve never done before, or is above your present level requireing preparation, commitment and resolve,</li> <li>Tell everyone you know, or meet about your goal and be an inspiration for someone else; <strong>positive energy is contagious</strong>,</li> <li>And most of all…..Enjoy the Ride</li> </ol> <p>Rob &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCA0165 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d img-responsive" height="196" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b050189d7970d-800wi" title="Orig-HRCA0165 - web" width="300" /></a></p> <h1>Marchand to make new hour record attempt at 102 years of age</h1> <p><strong><em>Frenchman continues to inspire and to astound scientists </em></strong></p> <p>&#0160; <a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Robert Marchand 100km" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a511249f22970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Robert Marchand 100km" /></a></p> <p>After previously setting marks for the hour record and 100 kilometres at over 100 years of age, French inspiration Robert Marchand is at it again; now almost 102 years old, he is planning to once again extend his hour record mark. <br /><br />On February 17th of last year he travelled to the World Cycling Centre is Aigle, Switzerland, and rode 24.251 kilometres in an hour. He had been instructed beforehand by doctors not to exceed 110 beats per minute, and so rode within himself to go at that speed. <br /><br />“I’m not playing at being a champion,” he said then. “I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday.”<br /><br />On September 28th he was at it again, heading to the Parc de la Tête d’Or Velodrome in Lyon and riding 300 laps. He covered the 100 kilometre distance in four hours 17 minutes 27 seconds, again setting a new standard. <br /><br />Once again, he showed modesty about the achievement. “I feel like a guy who is a hundred years old, I feel good. I’m an ordinary guy,” he said then. “I rode a bike for 52 years, it is not new today.”<br /><br />Now he wants to try the hour record once more, with INSERM [Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, or National Institute of Health and Medical Research – ed.] professor Véronique Billat announcing the bid today. <br /><br />“We prepare Robert Marchand for the world record of an hour above 25 km/h in January he will be 102 yrs old,” she wrote on Twitter. “He improved his VO2max (35) and his maximal power by 10% by the strength component, especially 2.65 w/kg of full body mass with 13% fat mass.”<br /><br />Marchand’s birthday takes place this month and he’s continuing to push the limits for his age. <br /><br />He trains regularly, lives alone, is self-sufficient and continues to drive. He is just five feet tall (1m52), but is in superb health.<br /><br />Born in 1911, Marchand started cycling at 14 years of age, then later left France and lived in Canada and Venezuela. He worked as a fireman, market gardener, show salesman and wine dealer, and competed as an amateur boxer. He returned to cycling in 1978 at 67 years of age, building up the distances and training with riders who were far younger than he was.<br /><br />He finally retired from work at 89 years of age and around that time rode the Bordeaux-Paris event. He covered the 600 kilometres in 36 hours. More recently, he’s limited the distance, although he still does a considerable amount. “For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more than 100km,” he said in February of last year, when he lay down an age-related hour record of 24.251 kilometres.<br /><br />“There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some time yet.”<br /><br />Prior to setting his 100 kilometre age record last September, he was asked if he would use any performance-enhancing substances during his attempt. “The only doping for me is water with a spoonful of honey that I put in my canteen [water bottle] - that&#39;s it,” he answered then, before joking, “if I was doping, though, maybe I could hit 35 km/h.”<br /><br />He explained his key to life, and fitness. “I am lucky that I haven’t had any major health problems. My advice to anyone, young or old, is to keep moving. I do ‘physical culture’ every day. It works out my whole body and keeps me supple.<br /><br />“Some people when they reach 80 years old, start playing cards and they stay immobile. Not me. I’ve never been able to keep still…”<br /><br />Marchand’s extraordinary physical shape has captivated the attention of many, not least the scientists at the Inserm public research institute. They study him every three months, and are impressed by what they see.<br /><br />“They told me I had the constitution of a 55-year-old man, they think it&#39;s genetic,” he told Reuters last year. “I have never deprived myself of anything: not wine, not food, not women, but always with moderation.”</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HMSF5JJqql8?start=181&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01a3fb25e4be970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-12-26T17:21:14Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b05917970cRandom Thoughts…for a Boxing Dayhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-12-26T17:21:13Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>After enjoying a great Christmas with our daughter Nicole and her boyfriend Michael who both travelled from London England this year to be with us in Calgary for the Holiday Season, I just thought I’d share a few random thoughts on this Boxing Day that I often speak to when asked about health and fitness.&#0160; So here goes, in no particular order, enjoy:</p> <ul> <li><strong>It&#39;s really about being fit for life.</strong> Think about your body like a car. Once you park a car for a while, it may be harder to start, or maybe it will never start again. But if you just keep driving it, it&#39;ll probably keep going. Your body likes to be driven.&#0160; My father who’s 88, walk/jogs every morning because he says as long as he’s moving, he’s living.&#0160; And my friend <a href="http://www.isport.com/link-lindquist" target="_blank" title="Link">Link Lindquisty</a>, who’s the oldest person to climb all three sides of Mt Ventoux in one day (at the age of 85), plans on running the Western States 100 mile race when he turns 100!&#0160; He only has 15 years to go, and every day he asks himself if what he does on that day will contribute to his goal.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Link Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Link Web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>You want fitness that you can actually use.</strong> Why do any exercise without a purpose?&#0160; People that hit the gym with no purpose usually give up on their program, especially at this time of year when the “New Year’s Resolution” group shows up.&#0160; If you’re going to commit to an exercise program, do it with purpose.&#0160; For example, when I’m in my gym, the purpose is to do exercises that improve my cycling. &#0160;So if you’re going to get fit, have a reason why you’re making such a commitment and do it in support of something you love.&#0160; Chances are you’ll stick to your program.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Day 1 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 1 Web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>You are what you eat.</strong>&#0160; If you eat and drink garbage, don’t be surprised if you perform like garbage.</li> <li><strong>Vacations aren’t a time to break from your good habits.&#0160; It’s an opportunity to get into an even better routine.</strong> During my personal time off this year, I raced two Gran Fondos, competed in the toughest amateur cycling event in the world, rode up Mt Ventoux 3 times in 4 days and still enjoyed the South of France with my wife.&#0160; This may be considered extreme by many, but so often I see people neglect, or in some cases abuse their bodies as soon as they go on vacation.&#0160; Refer to point #1.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice 2 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Nice 2 web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>How to rest.</strong>&#0160; This is something I&#39;m still trying to do better. Going full steam all the time is not always the most productive approach to achieve or maintain good fitness because you&#39;re always trying to catch-up with recovery.</li> <li><strong>You have to do different stuff.</strong> &#0160;When you reach a certain level in any sport, you become so efficient the effort level really diminishes. Your body has adapted. &#0160;For example, I recently introduced Rebounding into my exercise program as it helps my power output and core development for cycling, in addition to maintaining healthy bone density because it provides a non-impact, load-bearing activity.</li> <li><strong>Above everything, sleep.</strong> I’ve made this a New Year’s Resolution three times in the past five years and I still get too little.&#0160; It’s on my list again for this year.&#0160; We all need around 8 hours, ‘nuff said.</li> <li>I know people that eat healthier than me, and if they don&#39;t get their sprouted bread, they nearly go into a seizure.&#0160; By comparison, <strong>I can eat “Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Fries” at my local pub once in a while </strong>and it won&#39;t put me into toxic shock. It&#39;s like if a car is too high-performance, like a Bugatti Veyron that can only operate on 100 Octane. &#0160;I’d rather be the BMW, because if you fill it with regular gas once in a while, it may cough and burp a little, but it&#39;s still gonna keep running.</li> <li><strong>Chew your food more.</strong> That&#39;ll probably do more for your ability to absorb nutrients from your food than just about anything.</li> <li><strong>It&#39;s always more enjoyable to train with other people</strong>. It&#39;s more stimulating, and it will also push you because you have accountability. &#0160;My step-brother, <a href="Gerry%20Patterson" target="_blank">Gerry Patterson </a>and I competed in Haute Route last summer and although we never said it directly to each other, we had our own little battle going on, where we pushed each other harder than if we were riding by ourselves. &#0160;You don’t want to be the guy that said, “This hurts too much, so I’m just going to take it easy now”.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gerry and Rob" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d-800wi" title="Gerry and Rob" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>Fear is an unbelievable motivator</strong>.&#0160; Once you understand as a motivator, you can use fear to your benefit.&#0160; Nothing struck more fear into me this year than making the commitment to compete in Haute Route.&#0160; Its reputation for being the hardest amateur cycling event in the world motivated every participant to train with a heightened sense of purpose and commitment.&#0160; Find a goal that scares the hell out of you and watch how focused you become.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="14 percent web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="14 percent web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>And if you aren&#39;t able to be scared</strong>, you’ve probably never pushed yourself past what you thought was possible.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bonette 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bonette 1 web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>We are our own greatest inhibitors.</strong> People don&#39;t want to do new things if they think there’s a chance that they’re not going to be good or someone is going to laugh at them. You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, (fall off the bike and get back on), and try stuff that you&#39;ve never done in order to be the best you can be.</li> <li><strong>Schedule your training, you owe it to yourself.&#0160; </strong>If your health and fitness is a life-long priority you’ll make it happen, otherwise, you’ll just make excuses.&#0160; &#0160;</li> <li>And finally, if you&#39;re still doing it, <strong>you’ve won already!</strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</strong></p> <p><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice Ice Cream Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d img-responsive" height="175" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d-800wi" title="Nice Ice Cream Web" width="243" /></a><br /></strong></p> <p>After enjoying a great Christmas with our daughter Nicole and her boyfriend Michael who both travelled from London England this year to be with us in Calgary for the Holiday Season, I just thought I’d share a few random thoughts on this Boxing Day that I often speak to when asked about health and fitness.&#0160; So here goes, in no particular order, enjoy:</p> <ul> <li><strong>It&#39;s really about being fit for life.</strong> Think about your body like a car. Once you park a car for a while, it may be harder to start, or maybe it will never start again. But if you just keep driving it, it&#39;ll probably keep going. Your body likes to be driven.&#0160; My father who’s 88, walk/jogs every morning because he says as long as he’s moving, he’s living.&#0160; And my friend <a href="http://www.isport.com/link-lindquist" target="_blank" title="Link">Link Lindquisty</a>, who’s the oldest person to climb all three sides of Mt Ventoux in one day (at the age of 85), plans on running the Western States 100 mile race when he turns 100!&#0160; He only has 15 years to go, and every day he asks himself if what he does on that day will contribute to his goal.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Link Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01a3fb251446970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Link Web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>You want fitness that you can actually use.</strong> Why do any exercise without a purpose?&#0160; People that hit the gym with no purpose usually give up on their program, especially at this time of year when the “New Year’s Resolution” group shows up.&#0160; If you’re going to commit to an exercise program, do it with purpose.&#0160; For example, when I’m in my gym, the purpose is to do exercises that improve my cycling. &#0160;So if you’re going to get fit, have a reason why you’re making such a commitment and do it in support of something you love.&#0160; Chances are you’ll stick to your program.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Day 1 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b0c75f970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 1 Web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>You are what you eat.</strong>&#0160; If you eat and drink garbage, don’t be surprised if you perform like garbage.</li> <li><strong>Vacations aren’t a time to break from your good habits.&#0160; It’s an opportunity to get into an even better routine.</strong> During my personal time off this year, I raced two Gran Fondos, competed in the toughest amateur cycling event in the world, rode up Mt Ventoux 3 times in 4 days and still enjoyed the South of France with my wife.&#0160; This may be considered extreme by many, but so often I see people neglect, or in some cases abuse their bodies as soon as they go on vacation.&#0160; Refer to point #1.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice 2 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1d7dc970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Nice 2 web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>How to rest.</strong>&#0160; This is something I&#39;m still trying to do better. Going full steam all the time is not always the most productive approach to achieve or maintain good fitness because you&#39;re always trying to catch-up with recovery.</li> <li><strong>You have to do different stuff.</strong> &#0160;When you reach a certain level in any sport, you become so efficient the effort level really diminishes. Your body has adapted. &#0160;For example, I recently introduced Rebounding into my exercise program as it helps my power output and core development for cycling, in addition to maintaining healthy bone density because it provides a non-impact, load-bearing activity.</li> <li><strong>Above everything, sleep.</strong> I’ve made this a New Year’s Resolution three times in the past five years and I still get too little.&#0160; It’s on my list again for this year.&#0160; We all need around 8 hours, ‘nuff said.</li> <li>I know people that eat healthier than me, and if they don&#39;t get their sprouted bread, they nearly go into a seizure.&#0160; By comparison, <strong>I can eat “Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Fries” at my local pub once in a while </strong>and it won&#39;t put me into toxic shock. It&#39;s like if a car is too high-performance, like a Bugatti Veyron that can only operate on 100 Octane. &#0160;I’d rather be the BMW, because if you fill it with regular gas once in a while, it may cough and burp a little, but it&#39;s still gonna keep running.</li> <li><strong>Chew your food more.</strong> That&#39;ll probably do more for your ability to absorb nutrients from your food than just about anything.</li> <li><strong>It&#39;s always more enjoyable to train with other people</strong>. It&#39;s more stimulating, and it will also push you because you have accountability. &#0160;My step-brother, <a href="Gerry%20Patterson" target="_blank">Gerry Patterson </a>and I competed in Haute Route last summer and although we never said it directly to each other, we had our own little battle going on, where we pushed each other harder than if we were riding by ourselves. &#0160;You don’t want to be the guy that said, “This hurts too much, so I’m just going to take it easy now”.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gerry and Rob" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b16605970d-800wi" title="Gerry and Rob" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>Fear is an unbelievable motivator</strong>.&#0160; Once you understand as a motivator, you can use fear to your benefit.&#0160; Nothing struck more fear into me this year than making the commitment to compete in Haute Route.&#0160; Its reputation for being the hardest amateur cycling event in the world motivated every participant to train with a heightened sense of purpose and commitment.&#0160; Find a goal that scares the hell out of you and watch how focused you become.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="14 percent web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b170f0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="14 percent web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>And if you aren&#39;t able to be scared</strong>, you’ve probably never pushed yourself past what you thought was possible.</li> </ul> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bonette 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b17d4a970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bonette 1 web" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>We are our own greatest inhibitors.</strong> People don&#39;t want to do new things if they think there’s a chance that they’re not going to be good or someone is going to laugh at them. You have to be willing to subject yourself to failure, (fall off the bike and get back on), and try stuff that you&#39;ve never done in order to be the best you can be.</li> <li><strong>Schedule your training, you owe it to yourself.&#0160; </strong>If your health and fitness is a life-long priority you’ll make it happen, otherwise, you’ll just make excuses.&#0160; &#0160;</li> <li>And finally, if you&#39;re still doing it, <strong>you’ve won already!</strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</strong></p> <p><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice Ice Cream Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d img-responsive" height="175" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03b1e6d3970d-800wi" title="Nice Ice Cream Web" width="243" /></a><br /></strong></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b019b0304e1d0970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-12-15T17:56:44Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b019b030433d2970d10 Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gainhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-12-15T17:56:43Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Ok, I have to come clean here and tell you that I have the world’s sweatest tooth and it’s at this time of year all my will power flies out the window and I really struggle with avoiding all my favorite Christmas treats my wife makes.&#0160; Thank goodness I never give up my training program and I make exercise a high priority at this time of year.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Xmas Treats" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Xmas Treats" /></a><br />I’m not sure why it happens; it could be that we get caught up in the sparkling lights, the pretty snow, the shopping frenzy and the fun of the holiday season. But, suddenly you may find that managing your weight and sticking to your exercise program easily slides down to the bottom of your priorities. After all, sampling sweet treats and browsing for the perfect gift can easily distract you from the treadmill.</p> <p>With a little bit of planning, you can move more in December and keep those extra pounds for Santa. So watch the ball drop on December 31 and know you don’t have to spend the rest of the year undoing the damage you did this month...with these tips.</p> <p><strong>Be careful of liquid calories - </strong>Holidays are notorious for tempting us with drinks we wouldn’t normally consume. Alcohol is a poison to the human body and offers no nutrients, just empty calories! Eggnog coffee drinks with whipped cream, hot toddies, and spiced rum can have as many calories as a personal pan pizza! Opt instead for sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice of your choice.</p> <p><strong>Focus on socializing, not food and alcohol - </strong>Go to the party to socialize, not just eat and drink. Use your energy making memorable conversation rather than focusing on food and drink. &#39;Tis the season for friends and family after all, and conversation is calorie free!</p> <p><strong>Get moving -&#0160;</strong>Food isn’t the only enemy, lack of activity is also the problem. Remember calories in versus calories out. I’ll watch some of my holiday favorite TV shows while riding my bike on the indoor trainer instead of sitting for hours on my butt. Also, instead of looking for the perfect parking spot near the front door, park farther away at the mall and take the stairs with your packages. Better yet, get your workout done in the morning instead of being derailed by evening holiday hoopla.</p> <p><strong>Select healthy first -&#0160;</strong>Really stick to consuming your eight fruits and vegetables each day—keeping nourished with healthy food helps avoid those excess sugar highs and energy lows that can make you tired and depressed.</p> <p><strong>Try the one-a-day program -&#0160;</strong>Limit yourself to one indulgence per day. Don’t deprive yourself of all sugar for three days so you can pig out at the company holiday party. Be moderate in your thought process: one cookie, one candy, one eggnog, not one of everything all at once.</p> <p><strong>Control the risk for temptation -&#0160;</strong>Don’t walk through the break room at work 10 times a day when you know it’s filled with treats and candies brought in by fellow workers. My wife sets all her Christmas treats on the coffee table just staring at me. Don’t place treats on your kitchen counter or on the coffee table where the temptation is too great. Know yourself and your weaknesses so you can more easily avoid them.&#0160; Because if you’re anything like me, you can’t just eat one.</p> <p><strong>Never go to a party hungry -&#0160;</strong>One of the worst things you can do is starve yourself before a holiday party in a misguided effort to save up your calories. The hungrier you are, the less capable you are of staying in control. Avoid the grazing mentality at parties: take a plate and fill it only once with appetizers.&#0160;Don’t keep going back for seconds and thirds.</p> <p><strong>Exercise in small bursts - </strong>Break up your exercise throughout the day to reach a minimum of 60 minutes per day. Try two 15-minute walks with a 30-minute shopping outing with some extra lifts of those packages you&#39;re carrying.</p> <p><strong>Escape the couch -&#0160;</strong>Step away from the living room, and invite family and friends to get active. Choose gifts that encourage venturing outdoors, such as sleds, skates, or snowshoes. Get out and power walk to see the neighborhood holiday lights. If you must sit to watch a favorite show, get the whole family to do something active during each commercial break like jogging on the spot, or jumping jacks.&#0160; Do something that will elevate your heart rate without breaking into a full-on sweat.</p> <p><strong>Set your own limits -</strong>&#0160;Many times we eat foods or have seconds just to please the hostess or cook. Politely say “No thank you. Everything looks delicious, but I think I’ve reached my limit!”</p> <p>I’m the first to admit that this time of year is tough to manage because of all the unhealthy temptations that surround us, but remember, if you like most people, ½ of the weight your gain over this holiday season, will be with you for the rest of your life. Enjoy your family and friends while giving the cold shoulder to the unhealthy temptations.&#0160; Trust me; they have no feelings to offend.</p> <p>Enjoy the Holidays….and Enjoy the Ride…..Rob</p> <p>&#0160; <a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCK0154- Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d img-responsive" height="216" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d-800wi" title="Orig-HRCK0154- Web" width="296" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p> <p>Ok, I have to come clean here and tell you that I have the world’s sweatest tooth and it’s at this time of year all my will power flies out the window and I really struggle with avoiding all my favorite Christmas treats my wife makes.&#0160; Thank goodness I never give up my training program and I make exercise a high priority at this time of year.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Xmas Treats" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d img-responsive" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b03046236970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Xmas Treats" /></a><br />I’m not sure why it happens; it could be that we get caught up in the sparkling lights, the pretty snow, the shopping frenzy and the fun of the holiday season. But, suddenly you may find that managing your weight and sticking to your exercise program easily slides down to the bottom of your priorities. After all, sampling sweet treats and browsing for the perfect gift can easily distract you from the treadmill.</p> <p>With a little bit of planning, you can move more in December and keep those extra pounds for Santa. So watch the ball drop on December 31 and know you don’t have to spend the rest of the year undoing the damage you did this month...with these tips.</p> <p><strong>Be careful of liquid calories - </strong>Holidays are notorious for tempting us with drinks we wouldn’t normally consume. Alcohol is a poison to the human body and offers no nutrients, just empty calories! Eggnog coffee drinks with whipped cream, hot toddies, and spiced rum can have as many calories as a personal pan pizza! Opt instead for sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice of your choice.</p> <p><strong>Focus on socializing, not food and alcohol - </strong>Go to the party to socialize, not just eat and drink. Use your energy making memorable conversation rather than focusing on food and drink. &#39;Tis the season for friends and family after all, and conversation is calorie free!</p> <p><strong>Get moving -&#0160;</strong>Food isn’t the only enemy, lack of activity is also the problem. Remember calories in versus calories out. I’ll watch some of my holiday favorite TV shows while riding my bike on the indoor trainer instead of sitting for hours on my butt. Also, instead of looking for the perfect parking spot near the front door, park farther away at the mall and take the stairs with your packages. Better yet, get your workout done in the morning instead of being derailed by evening holiday hoopla.</p> <p><strong>Select healthy first -&#0160;</strong>Really stick to consuming your eight fruits and vegetables each day—keeping nourished with healthy food helps avoid those excess sugar highs and energy lows that can make you tired and depressed.</p> <p><strong>Try the one-a-day program -&#0160;</strong>Limit yourself to one indulgence per day. Don’t deprive yourself of all sugar for three days so you can pig out at the company holiday party. Be moderate in your thought process: one cookie, one candy, one eggnog, not one of everything all at once.</p> <p><strong>Control the risk for temptation -&#0160;</strong>Don’t walk through the break room at work 10 times a day when you know it’s filled with treats and candies brought in by fellow workers. My wife sets all her Christmas treats on the coffee table just staring at me. Don’t place treats on your kitchen counter or on the coffee table where the temptation is too great. Know yourself and your weaknesses so you can more easily avoid them.&#0160; Because if you’re anything like me, you can’t just eat one.</p> <p><strong>Never go to a party hungry -&#0160;</strong>One of the worst things you can do is starve yourself before a holiday party in a misguided effort to save up your calories. The hungrier you are, the less capable you are of staying in control. Avoid the grazing mentality at parties: take a plate and fill it only once with appetizers.&#0160;Don’t keep going back for seconds and thirds.</p> <p><strong>Exercise in small bursts - </strong>Break up your exercise throughout the day to reach a minimum of 60 minutes per day. Try two 15-minute walks with a 30-minute shopping outing with some extra lifts of those packages you&#39;re carrying.</p> <p><strong>Escape the couch -&#0160;</strong>Step away from the living room, and invite family and friends to get active. Choose gifts that encourage venturing outdoors, such as sleds, skates, or snowshoes. Get out and power walk to see the neighborhood holiday lights. If you must sit to watch a favorite show, get the whole family to do something active during each commercial break like jogging on the spot, or jumping jacks.&#0160; Do something that will elevate your heart rate without breaking into a full-on sweat.</p> <p><strong>Set your own limits -</strong>&#0160;Many times we eat foods or have seconds just to please the hostess or cook. Politely say “No thank you. Everything looks delicious, but I think I’ve reached my limit!”</p> <p>I’m the first to admit that this time of year is tough to manage because of all the unhealthy temptations that surround us, but remember, if you like most people, ½ of the weight your gain over this holiday season, will be with you for the rest of your life. Enjoy your family and friends while giving the cold shoulder to the unhealthy temptations.&#0160; Trust me; they have no feelings to offend.</p> <p>Enjoy the Holidays….and Enjoy the Ride…..Rob</p> <p>&#0160; <a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCK0154- Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d img-responsive" height="216" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019b0304472f970d-800wi" title="Orig-HRCK0154- Web" width="296" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5f0f970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-09-19T17:41:08Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7970fc970cAre the nurtition "experts" confusing you?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-09-19T17:41:07Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I just returned from close to a month in France.&#0160; The first part of my trip was to participate in the grueling <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route </a>bike race.&#0160; This is a 7 day stage race from <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/race/course-overview" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Course">Geneva to Nice France</a>, covering over 800km through the French Alps, climbing over 21,000 meters or 70,000 feet of grueling mountains passes every day at my maximum race pace effort. It was undeniably the hardest endurance event I’ve ever competed in and it certainly lived up to its reputation as being, “the Highest and Hardest” cycling sportive in the world.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCK0154" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b-800wi" title="Orig-HRCK0154" /></a></p> <p>Approximately 600 participants competed in Haute Route and for one week I lived in a “<strong>cycling bubble</strong>”.&#0160; Imagine if you will an environment where every person is keenly aware of their personal health and fitness level (I was even comfortable wearing compression socks in public). This obviously contrasts to the everyday world we live in, where the typical North American’s personal health and wellness is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span> a priority, that is unless they have an illness or disease.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b61d6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG-20130818-00924" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d-800wi" title="IMG-20130818-00924" /></a><br /><br />Outside the Haute Route cycling bubble, which consists of very thin cyclists that take their health and fitness to a scientific level, was the everyday person who cheered alone the roadside as 600 of us passed through their villages or towns. &#0160;It’s these people that caught my attention, because they represent the general population by which I can draw comparisons to what I observe here in North America.&#0160; </p> <p>After finishing Haute Route, my wife and I spent the next few weeks in the Provence region of France, starting in Nice&#0160;where we observed and enjoyed a very different lifestyle compared to what we’re accustomed to in Calgary, or our other home in Arizona.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c-800wi" title="Nice" /></a></p> <p>It seemed we could find any number of close-by markets where fresh locally grown food was always available.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice Market" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Nice Market" /></a><br />We also spent two wonderful days with a good cycling friend and his family and were&#0160;treated to meals that were fresh, healthy, sourced locally, and very typical of the French lifestyle.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3242 - doc" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b-800wi" title="IMG_3242 - doc" /></a></p> <p>By contrast, when I returned home, I found myself steering my oversized grocery cart through&#0160;my local&#0160;supersized grocery store, selecting produce that was probably aged﻿ ﻿artifically under ultraviolet lights, while &#0160;surrounded by oversized people stuffing their oversized carts for what appeared to be a month’s worth of processed junk food and supersized soft drinks.&#0160; </p> <p>My general observation is that, “<strong><em>North Americans are obsessed with size and equate ‘more’ with better value</em></strong>”.&#0160; This thinking manifests itself in our supermarkets, restaurants, home appliances, highways, real estate etc. We drive oversized minivans and sport utility vehicles; we rip into potato chips bags the size of garbage bags, we drink soft drinks from bathtub-sized containers and wedge our steroid fed Thanksgiving turkeys into oversized refrigerators that have more room than most European cars. </p> <p>The fact that we weigh too much because we eat too much on a regular basis may be obvious to some, but I’m starting to see a disturbing trend of pseudo-science that’s distracting us from the real causes behind our unhealthy size. &#0160;Study after study are looking&#0160;at fringe reasons why over 65% of us are either overweight or obese and are focusing on the edges of the problem instead of the flabby core.&#0160; It seems like&#0160;we’re focusing on the less daunting issues that distract us from the one that’s most difficult to change, which is the sheer volume of food our “<strong><em>larger is better</em></strong>” culture accepts and now believes is normal.</p> <p>In the past two weeks since returning from France, I’ve read stories or blog posts that describe research exploring the effects of a proper breakfast on weight loss; the implications of gut bacteria on a person’s tendency to be fat; the impact that sleep deprivation on dietary cravings; the possibility of strenuous exercise as an appetite suppressant (<em>I can attest this isn’t true after observing how much food we ate after strenuous daily racing during Haute Route</em>); and the unhealthy food choices a person will make when their favorite sport team loses the game.&#0160; I even read an article that experts have now drawn a parallel between air-conditioning and obesity.&#0160; </p> <p>Like the trillion dollar business seeking a cure for cancer, obesity has become full-time employment for scientists, physicians, nutritionists, and professors, who are funded to look for every obscure reason why we’re so fat. What’s upsetting is that these experts have done little in the way of providing clarity; in fact they have done more to confuse the general public than help. We’ve been told that snacking is good for us and that it’s not; that fruits and veggies will save the day and that they won’t; that more exercise means fewer pounds and that it makes little to no difference. Their approach to the weight issue is like <em>a doctor stitching a cut finger on a severed arm</em>; they&#39;re focusing on the cursory problems when the larger issue is staring them in the face.&#0160; There’s no one standing at my door offering a million dollar research grant, but what I’ve advised the people I’ve coached has yielded positive and lasting results more consistent than anything the experts are advising and it’s largely because I keep it simple and focus on the obvious problem. &#0160;</p> <p>Back to Europe for a moment. I’ve been there a number of times over the past few years and from my observation, I know they’re generally thinner and healthier than North Americas.&#0160; I also know they walk more, and they eat more locally grown foods, but these factors alone don’t make the difference in body size or health when compared to North Americas. &#0160;The reason for the difference is because they don’t celebrate huge portions the way we do.&#0160; They can’t comprehend the sheer volume of food we eat over here. For example, my friend in France&#0160;said the French don’t understand the concept of the “Doggie-Bag” (you know, for that time when we just can’t shovel anymore food in our faces, so we take whatever’s leftover home and eat it later).&#0160; He said it would be very difficult to move his family back to the United States, where he&#39;s originally from, largely because of the lifestyle differences, which includes the unhealthy eating practices of North Americans. Note the healthy portion size on&#0160;&quot;Mrs. No-Finish-Line&#39;s&quot;&#0160;plate (Eggplant, Rice and Pork Tenderloin, served with a wonderful bottle of local rosé wine﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dinner at John&#39;s" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d-800wi" title="Dinner at John&#39;s" /></a></p> <p>When the typical North American thinks of value; 7-11’s Super Big Gulp, Coca Cola’s economy pack, KFC’s party size, Papa John’s two-for-one pizza, the Whopper, the Double Whopper, the Triple Whopper, Costco in all its bloated grandeur all come to mind. With restaurants that serve obscene volumes of food and are celebrated on shows like “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/man-vs-food-how-not-to-eat.html%20" target="_blank" title="Man vs. Food">Man vs. Food</a>”, we’ve been taught that quantity, not quality, equals good value and it’s established a dangerous baseline for what we consider to be a sane and acceptable amount of food.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Fast food growth" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d-800wi" title="Fast food growth" /></a></p> <p>While preparing for Haute Route, part of my training objective was to reach and maintain an optimal race weight.&#0160; I often think cyclists are more pre-occupied with weight than international super models.&#0160; Although for a cyclist, carrying an unnecessary 5 to 10 lbs over 70,000 feet of mountain climbs, as I did in Haute Route can be the difference between racing well and just surviving.&#0160; For me, this meant I had to lose around 10lbs to 15lbs, which doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re already thin, losing 10 to 15 pounds requires extra attention to not only what I ate, but how much of it I consumed. &#0160;During the 7 months leading up to Haute Route, I dropped my weight from 167lbs to 153lbs.&#0160; Actually, I gained 4lbs of muscle during this time and lost 18lbs of body fat for a net weight loss of 14 pounds (6.36 kg) and still managed to maintain a very healthy 7.8% bodyfat.&#0160; I achieved this simply by paying particular attention to my food portions in addition to my food quality.&#0160; After getting over my habit of eating more than I really needed, I was surprised how easy it was to eat smaller, healthier portions and still not feel hungry.&#0160; And the surprising and unexpected benefit was how much more I enjoyed the food I ate.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob Ripped" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rob Ripped" /></a><br />So my advice if you’re seeking a healthy body size is to ignore the cursory pseudo-science that’s confusing our lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to food and simply learn what a healthy portion is and eat accordingly.&#0160; Remember, when it comes to food, “<em><strong>less is more</strong></em>”.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7c9bc0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux - Bedoin" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d" height="275" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d-800wi" title="Ventoux - Bedoin" width="352" /></a><br /><br /></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>I just returned from close to a month in France.&#0160; The first part of my trip was to participate in the grueling <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route </a>bike race.&#0160; This is a 7 day stage race from <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/race/course-overview" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Course">Geneva to Nice France</a>, covering over 800km through the French Alps, climbing over 21,000 meters or 70,000 feet of grueling mountains passes every day at my maximum race pace effort. It was undeniably the hardest endurance event I’ve ever competed in and it certainly lived up to its reputation as being, “the Highest and Hardest” cycling sportive in the world.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Orig-HRCK0154" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff797b8d970b-800wi" title="Orig-HRCK0154" /></a></p> <p>Approximately 600 participants competed in Haute Route and for one week I lived in a “<strong>cycling bubble</strong>”.&#0160; Imagine if you will an environment where every person is keenly aware of their personal health and fitness level (I was even comfortable wearing compression socks in public). This obviously contrasts to the everyday world we live in, where the typical North American’s personal health and wellness is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span> a priority, that is unless they have an illness or disease.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b61d6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG-20130818-00924" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7bdf58970d-800wi" title="IMG-20130818-00924" /></a><br /><br />Outside the Haute Route cycling bubble, which consists of very thin cyclists that take their health and fitness to a scientific level, was the everyday person who cheered alone the roadside as 600 of us passed through their villages or towns. &#0160;It’s these people that caught my attention, because they represent the general population by which I can draw comparisons to what I observe here in North America.&#0160; </p> <p>After finishing Haute Route, my wife and I spent the next few weeks in the Provence region of France, starting in Nice&#0160;where we observed and enjoyed a very different lifestyle compared to what we’re accustomed to in Calgary, or our other home in Arizona.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d4908970c-800wi" title="Nice" /></a></p> <p>It seemed we could find any number of close-by markets where fresh locally grown food was always available.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Nice Market" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5c20970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Nice Market" /></a><br />We also spent two wonderful days with a good cycling friend and his family and were&#0160;treated to meals that were fresh, healthy, sourced locally, and very typical of the French lifestyle.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3242 - doc" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7b3c6f970b-800wi" title="IMG_3242 - doc" /></a></p> <p>By contrast, when I returned home, I found myself steering my oversized grocery cart through&#0160;my local&#0160;supersized grocery store, selecting produce that was probably aged﻿ ﻿artifically under ultraviolet lights, while &#0160;surrounded by oversized people stuffing their oversized carts for what appeared to be a month’s worth of processed junk food and supersized soft drinks.&#0160; </p> <p>My general observation is that, “<strong><em>North Americans are obsessed with size and equate ‘more’ with better value</em></strong>”.&#0160; This thinking manifests itself in our supermarkets, restaurants, home appliances, highways, real estate etc. We drive oversized minivans and sport utility vehicles; we rip into potato chips bags the size of garbage bags, we drink soft drinks from bathtub-sized containers and wedge our steroid fed Thanksgiving turkeys into oversized refrigerators that have more room than most European cars. </p> <p>The fact that we weigh too much because we eat too much on a regular basis may be obvious to some, but I’m starting to see a disturbing trend of pseudo-science that’s distracting us from the real causes behind our unhealthy size. &#0160;Study after study are looking&#0160;at fringe reasons why over 65% of us are either overweight or obese and are focusing on the edges of the problem instead of the flabby core.&#0160; It seems like&#0160;we’re focusing on the less daunting issues that distract us from the one that’s most difficult to change, which is the sheer volume of food our “<strong><em>larger is better</em></strong>” culture accepts and now believes is normal.</p> <p>In the past two weeks since returning from France, I’ve read stories or blog posts that describe research exploring the effects of a proper breakfast on weight loss; the implications of gut bacteria on a person’s tendency to be fat; the impact that sleep deprivation on dietary cravings; the possibility of strenuous exercise as an appetite suppressant (<em>I can attest this isn’t true after observing how much food we ate after strenuous daily racing during Haute Route</em>); and the unhealthy food choices a person will make when their favorite sport team loses the game.&#0160; I even read an article that experts have now drawn a parallel between air-conditioning and obesity.&#0160; </p> <p>Like the trillion dollar business seeking a cure for cancer, obesity has become full-time employment for scientists, physicians, nutritionists, and professors, who are funded to look for every obscure reason why we’re so fat. What’s upsetting is that these experts have done little in the way of providing clarity; in fact they have done more to confuse the general public than help. We’ve been told that snacking is good for us and that it’s not; that fruits and veggies will save the day and that they won’t; that more exercise means fewer pounds and that it makes little to no difference. Their approach to the weight issue is like <em>a doctor stitching a cut finger on a severed arm</em>; they&#39;re focusing on the cursory problems when the larger issue is staring them in the face.&#0160; There’s no one standing at my door offering a million dollar research grant, but what I’ve advised the people I’ve coached has yielded positive and lasting results more consistent than anything the experts are advising and it’s largely because I keep it simple and focus on the obvious problem. &#0160;</p> <p>Back to Europe for a moment. I’ve been there a number of times over the past few years and from my observation, I know they’re generally thinner and healthier than North Americas.&#0160; I also know they walk more, and they eat more locally grown foods, but these factors alone don’t make the difference in body size or health when compared to North Americas. &#0160;The reason for the difference is because they don’t celebrate huge portions the way we do.&#0160; They can’t comprehend the sheer volume of food we eat over here. For example, my friend in France&#0160;said the French don’t understand the concept of the “Doggie-Bag” (you know, for that time when we just can’t shovel anymore food in our faces, so we take whatever’s leftover home and eat it later).&#0160; He said it would be very difficult to move his family back to the United States, where he&#39;s originally from, largely because of the lifestyle differences, which includes the unhealthy eating practices of North Americans. Note the healthy portion size on&#0160;&quot;Mrs. No-Finish-Line&#39;s&quot;&#0160;plate (Eggplant, Rice and Pork Tenderloin, served with a wonderful bottle of local rosé wine﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dinner at John&#39;s" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d618d970d-800wi" title="Dinner at John&#39;s" /></a></p> <p>When the typical North American thinks of value; 7-11’s Super Big Gulp, Coca Cola’s economy pack, KFC’s party size, Papa John’s two-for-one pizza, the Whopper, the Double Whopper, the Triple Whopper, Costco in all its bloated grandeur all come to mind. With restaurants that serve obscene volumes of food and are celebrated on shows like “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/man-vs-food-how-not-to-eat.html%20" target="_blank" title="Man vs. Food">Man vs. Food</a>”, we’ve been taught that quantity, not quality, equals good value and it’s established a dangerous baseline for what we consider to be a sane and acceptable amount of food.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Fast food growth" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d7bab970d-800wi" title="Fast food growth" /></a></p> <p>While preparing for Haute Route, part of my training objective was to reach and maintain an optimal race weight.&#0160; I often think cyclists are more pre-occupied with weight than international super models.&#0160; Although for a cyclist, carrying an unnecessary 5 to 10 lbs over 70,000 feet of mountain climbs, as I did in Haute Route can be the difference between racing well and just surviving.&#0160; For me, this meant I had to lose around 10lbs to 15lbs, which doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re already thin, losing 10 to 15 pounds requires extra attention to not only what I ate, but how much of it I consumed. &#0160;During the 7 months leading up to Haute Route, I dropped my weight from 167lbs to 153lbs.&#0160; Actually, I gained 4lbs of muscle during this time and lost 18lbs of body fat for a net weight loss of 14 pounds (6.36 kg) and still managed to maintain a very healthy 7.8% bodyfat.&#0160; I achieved this simply by paying particular attention to my food portions in addition to my food quality.&#0160; After getting over my habit of eating more than I really needed, I was surprised how easy it was to eat smaller, healthier portions and still not feel hungry.&#0160; And the surprising and unexpected benefit was how much more I enjoyed the food I ate.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob Ripped" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7ca410970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rob Ripped" /></a><br />So my advice if you’re seeking a healthy body size is to ignore the cursory pseudo-science that’s confusing our lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to food and simply learn what a healthy portion is and eat accordingly.&#0160; Remember, when it comes to food, “<em><strong>less is more</strong></em>”.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7c9bc0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux - Bedoin" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d" height="275" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019aff7d5053970d-800wi" title="Ventoux - Bedoin" width="352" /></a><br /><br /></p> <p>&#0160;</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0192aba5ba59970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-06-26T22:30:40Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba55d09970dAre you a Tony Soprano?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-06-26T22:30:40Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>When I speak with people about the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle, quite often I’m presented with the argument that their uncle weighs 250lbs, drinks 4 shots of bourbon and smoke a pack of unfiltered cigarettes a day....and he’s 95 years old and still kicking up a storm.&#0160; We’ve all heard this story.&#0160; So, their uncle or aunt that is the exception to the evidence is what they hang their future health outcome on.&#0160; The exception to all clinical and scientific research is their excuse for being obese and living an unhealthy lifestyle.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Jame Gandolfini" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d-800wi" title="Jame Gandolfini" /></a></p> <p>It was with sadness on a couple levels when I heard of the premature death of James Gandolfini.&#0160; First, I was sad because I really liked him as an actor, especially as his character, Tony Soprano. He will be missed on both the big and small screens.&#0160; And second, I was sad that he ignored all the research and science that indicated his lifestyle was directing him to an early grave.&#0160; Gandolfini was obese at a weight of 300lbs when he died at the age of 51and even though this is considered a young age these days, it didn’t surprise me that he died of heart attack.</p> <p>And just like the person that hangs onto someone they know that lives a long life in spite of their poor lifestyle choices as how they model their own lifestyle, let’s remember that James Gandolfini represents the vast majority; those hundreds of thousands of people that die every year of heart disease, or some other chronic disease. &#0160;Dr. Oz was on CNN the other evening and was asked to comment on the death of Mr. Gandolfini and he said, “1/3 may have been genetics, but for sure, 2/3 or more, of what contributed to his death was of his own doing”.</p> <p>I also thought it was interesting that on the day I heard about Mr Gandolfini’s death, the American Medical Association voted to classify <strong>obesity</strong> as a disease.&#0160; So instead of saying “you’re obese”, now you can say, “I have obesity”.&#0160; I wonder if this subtle difference in classification would have benefited Mr Gandolfini and the 100’s of millions of North Americans that are obese.&#0160; In Mr Gandolfini’s case, I don’t think it would have changed much as he often said he liked the feeling of being large and didn’t like losing weight for certain roles he played.</p> <p>I have little doubt the decision to classify obesity as an illness will draw more medical and public attention, which I think is positive, but was it really the right thing to do.&#0160; Like any other form of illness, the public looks to our medical community for the treatment.&#0160; And in most cases, illnesses are treated with some kind of pharmaceutical solution and never really cured. Will all the obese people now take this change in classification and simply look to their doctor for some pill to fix them up?&#0160; As with many chromic diseases brought on by poor lifestyle choices, will the overweight and obese&#0160; take even less responsibility for their condition?&#0160;&#0160;It’s not like it’s a mystery how they got that way.&#0160; Just look at what large people purchase at the grocery store and you’ll see the answer. </p> <p>Unlike people that are ill and suffering from cancer, diabetes, mental illness, etc.; someone who’s obese may not actually be clinically ill.&#0160; So how will being told, “You have obesity” help these people in their fight against their size and self image. Will they retreat further and become more self conscience of their condition, which would be equally destructive.</p> <p>I read a while back that our medical community is ill equipped to treat obese people with only ½ of primary care physicians qualified to treat them.&#0160; The <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Peter ">fellow I coached this year and last </a>who started out at 245lbs and is now a very healthy 165lbs through dietary changes and cycling for exercise, told me that when he was at his heaviest, his doctor still didn’t mention he was putting himself at serious risk.&#0160; With the AMA classifying obesity as a disease, have they passed the treatment responsibility to an ill trained group of doctors?</p> <p>I’m also concerned how the major stakeholders will react to this decision. If obesity is classified as a disease, the attention will be directed towards medical treatment and even less towards prevention. &#0160;The obesity epidemic that affects any nation that eats a typical North American diet has four responsible parties, with a fifth waiting in the wings; </p> <ol> <li><strong>Big Food</strong> – who are responsible for the unhealthy food they produce, but are wildly profitable</li> <li><strong>The Citizen</strong> – who choose to make unhealthy food choices for themselves and their families even when they know it will have long term health consequences</li> <li><strong>The Government – </strong>that subsidizes unhealthy food producers, making healthy choices significantly more expensive for many people in low income brackets.</li> <li><strong>The Medical Community</strong> – that will now be saddled with treating yet another man-made disease that can be prevented for the most part through healthy lifestyle choices.&#0160; </li> <li>And a new stakeholder will play a more prominent role.&#0160; <strong>Big Pharma </strong>– who will smell significantly more $$$$ because now that obesity is a disease, it will be treated like all other diseases...through some kind of prescription medication. </li> </ol> <p>I’m sure the AMA meant well by changing obesity’s classified to an illness.&#0160; To be sure, weight management is a complicated issue that employs an entire industry of medical researchers that are trying to figure it out.&#0160; But I’m equally sure this decision will have a boat load of unintended consequences.&#0160; So to avoid the consequences of this decision, don’t take the path of “Tony Soprano” and ignore obesity, regardless of its classification.&#0160; Prevention is the cure, so shape your health outcome by making good lifestyle decisions today, because let’s face it who wants to die at 51.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>When I speak with people about the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle, quite often I’m presented with the argument that their uncle weighs 250lbs, drinks 4 shots of bourbon and smoke a pack of unfiltered cigarettes a day....and he’s 95 years old and still kicking up a storm.&#0160; We’ve all heard this story.&#0160; So, their uncle or aunt that is the exception to the evidence is what they hang their future health outcome on.&#0160; The exception to all clinical and scientific research is their excuse for being obese and living an unhealthy lifestyle.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Jame Gandolfini" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aba571eb970d-800wi" title="Jame Gandolfini" /></a></p> <p>It was with sadness on a couple levels when I heard of the premature death of James Gandolfini.&#0160; First, I was sad because I really liked him as an actor, especially as his character, Tony Soprano. He will be missed on both the big and small screens.&#0160; And second, I was sad that he ignored all the research and science that indicated his lifestyle was directing him to an early grave.&#0160; Gandolfini was obese at a weight of 300lbs when he died at the age of 51and even though this is considered a young age these days, it didn’t surprise me that he died of heart attack.</p> <p>And just like the person that hangs onto someone they know that lives a long life in spite of their poor lifestyle choices as how they model their own lifestyle, let’s remember that James Gandolfini represents the vast majority; those hundreds of thousands of people that die every year of heart disease, or some other chronic disease. &#0160;Dr. Oz was on CNN the other evening and was asked to comment on the death of Mr. Gandolfini and he said, “1/3 may have been genetics, but for sure, 2/3 or more, of what contributed to his death was of his own doing”.</p> <p>I also thought it was interesting that on the day I heard about Mr Gandolfini’s death, the American Medical Association voted to classify <strong>obesity</strong> as a disease.&#0160; So instead of saying “you’re obese”, now you can say, “I have obesity”.&#0160; I wonder if this subtle difference in classification would have benefited Mr Gandolfini and the 100’s of millions of North Americans that are obese.&#0160; In Mr Gandolfini’s case, I don’t think it would have changed much as he often said he liked the feeling of being large and didn’t like losing weight for certain roles he played.</p> <p>I have little doubt the decision to classify obesity as an illness will draw more medical and public attention, which I think is positive, but was it really the right thing to do.&#0160; Like any other form of illness, the public looks to our medical community for the treatment.&#0160; And in most cases, illnesses are treated with some kind of pharmaceutical solution and never really cured. Will all the obese people now take this change in classification and simply look to their doctor for some pill to fix them up?&#0160; As with many chromic diseases brought on by poor lifestyle choices, will the overweight and obese&#0160; take even less responsibility for their condition?&#0160;&#0160;It’s not like it’s a mystery how they got that way.&#0160; Just look at what large people purchase at the grocery store and you’ll see the answer. </p> <p>Unlike people that are ill and suffering from cancer, diabetes, mental illness, etc.; someone who’s obese may not actually be clinically ill.&#0160; So how will being told, “You have obesity” help these people in their fight against their size and self image. Will they retreat further and become more self conscience of their condition, which would be equally destructive.</p> <p>I read a while back that our medical community is ill equipped to treat obese people with only ½ of primary care physicians qualified to treat them.&#0160; The <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Peter ">fellow I coached this year and last </a>who started out at 245lbs and is now a very healthy 165lbs through dietary changes and cycling for exercise, told me that when he was at his heaviest, his doctor still didn’t mention he was putting himself at serious risk.&#0160; With the AMA classifying obesity as a disease, have they passed the treatment responsibility to an ill trained group of doctors?</p> <p>I’m also concerned how the major stakeholders will react to this decision. If obesity is classified as a disease, the attention will be directed towards medical treatment and even less towards prevention. &#0160;The obesity epidemic that affects any nation that eats a typical North American diet has four responsible parties, with a fifth waiting in the wings; </p> <ol> <li><strong>Big Food</strong> – who are responsible for the unhealthy food they produce, but are wildly profitable</li> <li><strong>The Citizen</strong> – who choose to make unhealthy food choices for themselves and their families even when they know it will have long term health consequences</li> <li><strong>The Government – </strong>that subsidizes unhealthy food producers, making healthy choices significantly more expensive for many people in low income brackets.</li> <li><strong>The Medical Community</strong> – that will now be saddled with treating yet another man-made disease that can be prevented for the most part through healthy lifestyle choices.&#0160; </li> <li>And a new stakeholder will play a more prominent role.&#0160; <strong>Big Pharma </strong>– who will smell significantly more $$$$ because now that obesity is a disease, it will be treated like all other diseases...through some kind of prescription medication. </li> </ol> <p>I’m sure the AMA meant well by changing obesity’s classified to an illness.&#0160; To be sure, weight management is a complicated issue that employs an entire industry of medical researchers that are trying to figure it out.&#0160; But I’m equally sure this decision will have a boat load of unintended consequences.&#0160; So to avoid the consequences of this decision, don’t take the path of “Tony Soprano” and ignore obesity, regardless of its classification.&#0160; Prevention is the cure, so shape your health outcome by making good lifestyle decisions today, because let’s face it who wants to die at 51.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p>&#0160;</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0192aaf2a646970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-06-10T04:22:43Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0191032907e7970cSeven Steps to Spinal (Pelvis, Lumbar, Thoracic and Cervical) Stabilization http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-06-10T04:22:42Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Back trouble is a health topic I’ve rarely discussed, because I’ve personally never had trouble with this area of my body; as a result I take for granted this vitally important body structure.&#0160; But if you’re someone that has back trouble you&#39;re reminded of its importance every waking moment of single every day.&#0160; </p> <p>As my resident guest blogger Dr Les Davidson says below,&#0160;summer is the time of year when most of us get outdoors and participate in a wide variety of physical activities requiring a healthy spinal support structure.&#0160; As with all aspects of your personal health, don’t neglect your spinal health just because you don’t have back issues today.&#0160; </p> <p>The best course of action is to take proactive measures today by making your back health a priority, so you don&#39;t have to&#0160;be reactive in the future when back trouble becomes an issue. </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride…..Rob &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Spine - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d" height="285" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d-800wi" title="Spine - web" width="250" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Seven Steps to Spinal (Pelvis, Lumbar, Thoracic and Cervical) Stabilization </strong></span></p> <p>Dr. Les Davidson</p> <p>Typically, summer sparks an increased level of activity; cycling, golf, tennis, baseball, water sports, gardening…. Each summer I treat people who are injured because their bodies are not prepared for this increased level of activity. A major consideration in preparing is having a stable spine.</p> <p>A healthy spine is stable as it moves, so that no harmful shifting or sliding happens within each spinal segment. Technically spinal stabilization is defined as the ability of the spinal column to survive an applied perturbation (input energy). If this energy is greater than the potential energy of the column (stored in discs, ligaments, muscles and tendons), equilibrium <strong>will not</strong> be attained increasing the vulnerability of the spine to injury.</p> <p>In an ideal world, there would be no conscious thought to spinal stabilization. It would be intuitive.&#0160; By design humans are created for upright posture and ambulation. The synchronicity of the nerves, muscles, ligaments and skeletal system allow us to walk, run, jump, carry heavy loads and reach for objects. Effective use of our extremities in reaching, lifting and kicking requires tremendous central (core)strength and there is a direct correlation between being able to engage our central strength at the instant it is needed and spinal stabilization.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Unfortunately, spinal stabilization is compromised by our modern lifestyle. </strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019103297c4a970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Human-back-spine-posture" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Human-back-spine-posture" /></a></strong><br /><br />Our modern lifestyle involves too much sitting and too little physical activity. Trauma incurred from contact sports and MVA (motor vehicle accidents) as well as spinal degeneration and disease compromises spinal stabilization. Finally, the stressors of life put our nervous system into a sympathetic dominated state which creates a fight or flight protective posture. This is a position of flexors being overactive, creating the commonly seen rounded shoulders and forward head posture. </p> <p>Bone and ligaments can only manage a fraction of the loads our spines are subjected to on a daily basis; therefore the importance of spinal muscles becomes evident.&#0160; If the muscles are not strong enough or not properly coordinated to do their job, the loads put extra strain on the structures of the spine. This strain manifests as low back, upper back, neck pain with the associated signs and symptoms. Strengthening exercises and aerobic fitness are important components in preventing LBP (low back pain) and rehabilitating chronic low back pain. Staying active is currently the recommended, evidence-based intervention for low back pain. (Note: For acute low back pain, exercise is<strong> less effective</strong> than other conservative therapies such as manipulation and anti-inflammatory medication. Exercise therapy is not the same as activity.) </p> <p>&#0160;This review identifies the concepts and exercise options that are supported by research.&#0160; This is a complex topic which is continually evolving as the intricacies of the anatomy and integration of function is better understood.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>Seven Elements to Consider When Optimizing Spinal Stability</strong></span></p> <p>Each element should be considered sequentially and then concurrently. </p> <p><strong>1.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Basic health factors- address the systemic issues of obesity, inflammation and stress</strong></p> <p><strong>2.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Posture </strong></p> <p>Optimally the spine is aligned straight front to back with well-balanced curves when viewed from the side. The most common postural faults are the upper-crossed syndrome with rounded shoulders and forward head carriage or the lower-crossed syndrome with a forward-tipped pelvis, increased low-back curve and a weak, forward-protruding abdomen.</p> <p><strong>3.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Joint play </strong></p> <p>&#0160;Each vertebra should be free to glide in what are known as joint-play movements. These are not active or volitional movements, but instead subtle, passive movements necessary for a joint to accommodate the active joint ranges of motion. Too much play and the joint gets worn from instability; too little play limits the function, necessary to move nutrients to joint tissue or provide input to our nervous system from stretch receptors that occurs with freedom of movement. Chiropractic adjustments are effective at restoring these joint play movements.</p> <p><strong>4.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Breathing </strong></p> <p>Of the more than 20 muscles associated with respiration, almost all of them have a postural function. The ability to maintain stability while breathing normally is important. Many people breath using the chest and not the abdomen which combined with the common forward head posture creates a shallow frequent pattern of breathing that overworks the lower neck and upper back muscles and weakens our diaphragm. This can be improved by taking conscious control of your breathing and practicing how to abdominal breathing. Also, when lifting heavy optimizing breath control may provide increased segmental control of the spine through the production of increased intra-abdominal pressure. </p> <p><strong>5.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Motor control </strong></p> <p>&#0160;Although it is generally accepted that there is a relationship between LBP and alterations in motor control of abdominal and low back musculature, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Individuals with LBP have been demonstrated to have increased activity of the large outer, superficial trunk muscles, while activity of the deep inner trunk muscles is delayed and attenuated. There is a need, therefore, to reverse motor control deficits that occur after back injury or degenerative change.&#0160; The most significant finding is that people who do not retrain their deep stabilizing muscles are 12.4 times more likely to have recurrence of back pain than those people who learned how to use the deep inner muscles properly. Learning how to identify and engage these muscles can be taught by a chiropractor, physiotherapist or personal trainer.</p> <p><strong>6.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Bracing</strong></p> <p>This is the contraction of the longer, larger outer-unit muscles to stiffen the spine. It is the ability to hold rigid the region between the lower margin of the rib cage to the top of the pelvis. These muscles are primarily phasic helping us move but also have a significant role in stabilizing our spine and pelvis. Their ability to hold our body rigid with eccentric contraction protects the small inner muscles against heavy or sudden movements. The deep inner muscles contract and preset prior to the larger outer muscles contracting. Unfortunately, if the inner muscles are not doing their job efficiently the larger outer muscles might be in a state of constant contraction and not just firing at the times needed for bracing.</p> <p><strong>7.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Sling exercises</strong></p> <p>Functional units known as myofascial slings are formed when individual muscles link via fascia. Multiple muscles working in a sequential manner, support the coordinated mobility required to create movement in the transverse, frontal, sagittal or oblique planes. </p> <p>These four muscle teams act together to provide stability across the lumbar spine and pelvis. They enlist the co-ordination of all the outer unit muscles to ensure correct movement patterning, while maintaining stability. Training of these groups of muscles requires more complex resisted motions such as chopping, stepping forward or back with a rotational component. If all the muscles in the team do NOT work efficiently, other muscles are overworked which leads to early fatigue, poor performance and increased risk of injury.</p> <p><strong>In Conclusion</strong></p> <p>In his blog, <em>Don’t Just Do It, Do It Right</em>, Rob wrote that one of the best ways to achieve fitness goals is to organize workouts so that the exercises work together to build the body and support recovery. I agree. </p> <p>Everyone has basically the same component parts but we all have significantly different levels of function. The challenge of helping patients move along this functional continuum, motivates me in my practice each day. </p> <p>Hopefully, you also will be challenged to assess your existing level of functional stability, discover where you are on the functional continuum, which of the elements listed above may be compromised and then establish a corrective program so you can enjoy all your <em>fun in the sun </em>activities injury free.</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years....Dr Les.</p> <p>Back trouble is a health topic I’ve rarely discussed, because I’ve personally never had trouble with this area of my body; as a result I take for granted this vitally important body structure.&#0160; But if you’re someone that has back trouble you&#39;re reminded of its importance every waking moment of single every day.&#0160; </p> <p>As my resident guest blogger Dr Les Davidson says below,&#0160;summer is the time of year when most of us get outdoors and participate in a wide variety of physical activities requiring a healthy spinal support structure.&#0160; As with all aspects of your personal health, don’t neglect your spinal health just because you don’t have back issues today.&#0160; </p> <p>The best course of action is to take proactive measures today by making your back health a priority, so you don&#39;t have to&#0160;be reactive in the future when back trouble becomes an issue. </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride…..Rob &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Spine - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d" height="285" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aaf187b9970d-800wi" title="Spine - web" width="250" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Seven Steps to Spinal (Pelvis, Lumbar, Thoracic and Cervical) Stabilization </strong></span></p> <p>Dr. Les Davidson</p> <p>Typically, summer sparks an increased level of activity; cycling, golf, tennis, baseball, water sports, gardening…. Each summer I treat people who are injured because their bodies are not prepared for this increased level of activity. A major consideration in preparing is having a stable spine.</p> <p>A healthy spine is stable as it moves, so that no harmful shifting or sliding happens within each spinal segment. Technically spinal stabilization is defined as the ability of the spinal column to survive an applied perturbation (input energy). If this energy is greater than the potential energy of the column (stored in discs, ligaments, muscles and tendons), equilibrium <strong>will not</strong> be attained increasing the vulnerability of the spine to injury.</p> <p>In an ideal world, there would be no conscious thought to spinal stabilization. It would be intuitive.&#0160; By design humans are created for upright posture and ambulation. The synchronicity of the nerves, muscles, ligaments and skeletal system allow us to walk, run, jump, carry heavy loads and reach for objects. Effective use of our extremities in reaching, lifting and kicking requires tremendous central (core)strength and there is a direct correlation between being able to engage our central strength at the instant it is needed and spinal stabilization.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Unfortunately, spinal stabilization is compromised by our modern lifestyle. </strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019103297c4a970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Human-back-spine-posture" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901d336190970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Human-back-spine-posture" /></a></strong><br /><br />Our modern lifestyle involves too much sitting and too little physical activity. Trauma incurred from contact sports and MVA (motor vehicle accidents) as well as spinal degeneration and disease compromises spinal stabilization. Finally, the stressors of life put our nervous system into a sympathetic dominated state which creates a fight or flight protective posture. This is a position of flexors being overactive, creating the commonly seen rounded shoulders and forward head posture. </p> <p>Bone and ligaments can only manage a fraction of the loads our spines are subjected to on a daily basis; therefore the importance of spinal muscles becomes evident.&#0160; If the muscles are not strong enough or not properly coordinated to do their job, the loads put extra strain on the structures of the spine. This strain manifests as low back, upper back, neck pain with the associated signs and symptoms. Strengthening exercises and aerobic fitness are important components in preventing LBP (low back pain) and rehabilitating chronic low back pain. Staying active is currently the recommended, evidence-based intervention for low back pain. (Note: For acute low back pain, exercise is<strong> less effective</strong> than other conservative therapies such as manipulation and anti-inflammatory medication. Exercise therapy is not the same as activity.) </p> <p>&#0160;This review identifies the concepts and exercise options that are supported by research.&#0160; This is a complex topic which is continually evolving as the intricacies of the anatomy and integration of function is better understood.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>Seven Elements to Consider When Optimizing Spinal Stability</strong></span></p> <p>Each element should be considered sequentially and then concurrently. </p> <p><strong>1.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Basic health factors- address the systemic issues of obesity, inflammation and stress</strong></p> <p><strong>2.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Posture </strong></p> <p>Optimally the spine is aligned straight front to back with well-balanced curves when viewed from the side. The most common postural faults are the upper-crossed syndrome with rounded shoulders and forward head carriage or the lower-crossed syndrome with a forward-tipped pelvis, increased low-back curve and a weak, forward-protruding abdomen.</p> <p><strong>3.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Joint play </strong></p> <p>&#0160;Each vertebra should be free to glide in what are known as joint-play movements. These are not active or volitional movements, but instead subtle, passive movements necessary for a joint to accommodate the active joint ranges of motion. Too much play and the joint gets worn from instability; too little play limits the function, necessary to move nutrients to joint tissue or provide input to our nervous system from stretch receptors that occurs with freedom of movement. Chiropractic adjustments are effective at restoring these joint play movements.</p> <p><strong>4.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Breathing </strong></p> <p>Of the more than 20 muscles associated with respiration, almost all of them have a postural function. The ability to maintain stability while breathing normally is important. Many people breath using the chest and not the abdomen which combined with the common forward head posture creates a shallow frequent pattern of breathing that overworks the lower neck and upper back muscles and weakens our diaphragm. This can be improved by taking conscious control of your breathing and practicing how to abdominal breathing. Also, when lifting heavy optimizing breath control may provide increased segmental control of the spine through the production of increased intra-abdominal pressure. </p> <p><strong>5.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Motor control </strong></p> <p>&#0160;Although it is generally accepted that there is a relationship between LBP and alterations in motor control of abdominal and low back musculature, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Individuals with LBP have been demonstrated to have increased activity of the large outer, superficial trunk muscles, while activity of the deep inner trunk muscles is delayed and attenuated. There is a need, therefore, to reverse motor control deficits that occur after back injury or degenerative change.&#0160; The most significant finding is that people who do not retrain their deep stabilizing muscles are 12.4 times more likely to have recurrence of back pain than those people who learned how to use the deep inner muscles properly. Learning how to identify and engage these muscles can be taught by a chiropractor, physiotherapist or personal trainer.</p> <p><strong>6.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Bracing</strong></p> <p>This is the contraction of the longer, larger outer-unit muscles to stiffen the spine. It is the ability to hold rigid the region between the lower margin of the rib cage to the top of the pelvis. These muscles are primarily phasic helping us move but also have a significant role in stabilizing our spine and pelvis. Their ability to hold our body rigid with eccentric contraction protects the small inner muscles against heavy or sudden movements. The deep inner muscles contract and preset prior to the larger outer muscles contracting. Unfortunately, if the inner muscles are not doing their job efficiently the larger outer muscles might be in a state of constant contraction and not just firing at the times needed for bracing.</p> <p><strong>7.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Sling exercises</strong></p> <p>Functional units known as myofascial slings are formed when individual muscles link via fascia. Multiple muscles working in a sequential manner, support the coordinated mobility required to create movement in the transverse, frontal, sagittal or oblique planes. </p> <p>These four muscle teams act together to provide stability across the lumbar spine and pelvis. They enlist the co-ordination of all the outer unit muscles to ensure correct movement patterning, while maintaining stability. Training of these groups of muscles requires more complex resisted motions such as chopping, stepping forward or back with a rotational component. If all the muscles in the team do NOT work efficiently, other muscles are overworked which leads to early fatigue, poor performance and increased risk of injury.</p> <p><strong>In Conclusion</strong></p> <p>In his blog, <em>Don’t Just Do It, Do It Right</em>, Rob wrote that one of the best ways to achieve fitness goals is to organize workouts so that the exercises work together to build the body and support recovery. I agree. </p> <p>Everyone has basically the same component parts but we all have significantly different levels of function. The challenge of helping patients move along this functional continuum, motivates me in my practice each day. </p> <p>Hopefully, you also will be challenged to assess your existing level of functional stability, discover where you are on the functional continuum, which of the elements listed above may be compromised and then establish a corrective program so you can enjoy all your <em>fun in the sun </em>activities injury free.</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years....Dr Les.</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0191029b0755970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-05-27T18:43:28Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b0752970cGran Fondo Preparation 101http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-05-27T22:03:46Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>A&#0160;friend of mine&#0160;is organizing the <a href="http://www.granfondocanmore.com/" target="_blank" title="Gran Fondo Canmore">Gran Fondo Canmore </a>being held on July 6th, 2013 in the beautiful Canadian Rockies asked if I would write a post about preparing for such an event. I hope this post contains some high level information that enhances your experience while keeping you safe.</p> <p>Firstly, for those of you who are new to the term “Gran Fondo”.&#0160; A <strong>Gran Fondo</strong>, (or cyclosportive, or simply referred to as a sportive in most European countries), is a short to long distance, organized, mass-participation cycling event. &#0160;Gran Fondo is the Italian term commonly used for these events in the North America and most English-speaking countries and they&#39;re springing up all over the place.&#0160; It&#39;s been said that cycling is the new golf.&#0160; Now I don&#39;t know if this is true, but I certainly know cycling is a great form of exercise that can be enjoyed at any age.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 2" /></a></p> <p>These events are not considered cycling races and riders of all calibers participate.&#0160; For the recreation rider, finishing and sharing the outdoors with good friends and like minded participants is the primary objective, and for the more competitive cyclists, well, they give you a number and a provide you with a finishing time, so for guys like me, that&#39;s enough to be competitive.</p> <p>Since the range and abilities of cyclists riding in any Gran Fondo are vastly different, I will focus this post more on the basics, as the seasoned riders will be well versed in these concepts.&#0160; I will provide basic information on:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Bike Setup, </strong></li> <li><strong>Training, </strong></li> <li><strong>Food &amp; Drink</strong></li> <li><strong>Safety</strong>&#0160;&#0160; </li> </ol> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Bike Set-up</strong></span></p> <p>So before we can talk about bike set up, you have to answer the following question: &#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Are you more interested in cycling performance, or do you care more about comfort and enjoying the scenery?&#0160; </em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca5d9f5970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Riding Positions" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c-800wi" title="Riding Positions" /></a><br /></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">The answer to this question determines how you position yourself on your bike. How your friend sets up his or her bike will have little to no bearing on your setup, even if he or she has exactly the same body measurements. You know why you ride a bike and only you know what trade-offs you’re willing to make in order to achieve your purpose on a bicycle.&#0160; Below I will describe some general concepts for you to consider, but&#0160;to get your bike fitted properly, especially if you’re new to cycling, while keeping&#0160;the answer to the question above in mind, I suggest you visit your local bike shop for assistance.&#0160; Below are some basics to consider.</p> <p><strong>Fore/aft Position:&#0160;</strong>After establishing the height of your saddle, the fore/aft position is the most important position and is based on what type of riding you prefer to do.&#0160; Are you looking for “comfort” or “power &amp; performance”?&#0160; It’s a trade-off.&#0160; Here’s how to start.&#0160; Get comfortable while in the dropped portion of your handlebars and then take your hands off the bars and hold the position without the use of your arms holding you up.&#0160; If you require your arms to hold you up because you have to strain your torso muscles, you’re probably in&#0160;the performance position, but if you can hold the position just with your torso muscles without too much effort, you’re more likely in a touring position.&#0160; I always recommend new riders to be comfortable on their bike and over time if they continue riding, they will migrate to varying degrees of the performance position.&#0160; </p> <p>If you watch pro cyclists on TV, you will notice they bent way over with their backs flat in the power position to maximize their performance.&#0160; The compromise is it’s not initially comfortable as the touring posiiton and takes years of training&#0160;to get&#0160;used to this extreme position.&#0160; That&#39;s assuming you&#39;re even interested in this type of riding.</p> <p>Regardless of whether you want to tour or race, as you ride more you will find yourself leaning further forward into the power position by extending your stem length and/or moving your saddle further back.&#0160; Note: as you move your saddle forward or rearward, you are effectively changing the saddle height relative to the cranks, since the saddle rails are not perpendicular to the seat tube. So be prepared to change the seat height as you adjust the fore-aft saddle position; lowering the saddle as you move it back to maintain the same leg extension, while raising it as you move the saddle forward, always keeping a slight bend in the knee whereby you never find yourself rocking your hips while peddling. </p> <p>I find most new riders opt out for a shorter stem length with many spacers that raises their handlebar height so they’re in a that comfortable upright position.&#0160; They will also notice they don’t ride as fast as the seasoned riders that are bend over.&#0160; Besides their training, seasoned cyclists position themselves for maximum power and aerodynamics (which I’ll get to in a moment).&#0160; But it takes time to gradually move into this riding position, so if you want to enjoy your first Gran Fondo withour the sore neck and back, think comfort first.</p> <p><strong>Aerodynamics:&#0160;</strong>The distance from the nose of your saddle to the middle of your handlebars is an important measurement to keep in mind.&#0160; &#0160;If you stick with cycling over the years, this measurement will get larger, because you’ll be, 1) more comfortable in the power position mentioned above, and 2) be more aerodynamically efficient. &#0160;</p> <p>If you look at bikes specifically built for individual speed efforts&#0160;(time trials or triathlons), they are designed to maximize power and aerodynamics.&#0160; In fact, the rider is in such an extreme position; they require pads on their handlebars to rest their arms because there’s no way the torso muscles could hold them in that position for very long. Besides being in the power position, reducing wind resistance is extremely important because the coefficient of drag (wind resistance) increases by the power of 3 relative to&#0160;your speed.&#0160; In simpler terms, the smaller profile you present to the wind (i.e. lower body position) will reduce your power requirements to maintain a certain speed.&#0160; New riders almost always ride more upright, thereby presenting a larger surface area to the wind thereby increasing the coefficient of drag, while also being in a position that reduces their power output.&#0160; Below is a picture of 2012 Tour de France and Olympic Time Trail Champion, Bradley Wiggins showing this&#0160;principle in action, enroute to his Tour victory.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="WigginsTT" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d-800wi" title="WigginsTT" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b4117970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p><strong>Summary: </strong>So when you set up your bike and you’re new to cycling I suggest you focus on comfort first, but be mindful of the trade-off you’re making when it comes to power and aerodynamics.&#0160; And if you’re a seasoned rider, slam that big dog stem as low as it can go and remember <a href="http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/" target="_blank" title="Cycling Rules">Rule #5 of the Velominati</a> rules of cycling.&#0160; </p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Training</strong></span></p> <p>If this is your first Gran Fondo&#0160;you have time to prepare yourself for a summer Gran Fondo event to maximize your riding experience.&#0160; Since most Gran Fondos have different distances to choose from, like the <a href="http://www.granfondocanmore.com/#!100miles/c81f" target="_blank" title="Course">Canmore event</a>, your training distances may vary from someone doing a shorter distance, but the concepts remain the same.&#0160; </p> <p>I coach a number of people and supply them with a structured program based on their personal Anaerobic Thresholds and incorporates techniques and training loads, balanced by micro and macro rest and recovery periods.&#0160; Their training is provided in the form of a daily workout schedule to ensure they achieve peak performance on the day of their targeted event.&#0160; Since I won’t be providing that level of detail to such a wide audience, I will share with some basic concepts to get you prepared so you’ll enjoy your day of riding during the event.</p> <p>If you’re just starting to get acquainted with your new bike without having done much training in the past few months (or years), your goal will be to build an endurance base tailored for cycling with the majority of your riding done at a low to moderate effort. Your weekly training plan will encompass three different workouts, each designed to tap into different energy systems required to comfortably complete such an event.&#0160; These three workouts are: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Base/Endurance, </strong></li> <li><strong>Tempo and </strong></li> <li><strong>Intervals.&#0160; </strong></li> </ol> <p>If you’re new to cycling or just cleaning the dust of your machine now, you will focus most of your training time on Base/Endurance workouts with a little Tempo riding.&#0160; And if you’ve been riding indoors throughout the winter months and already have a good base, you may want to increase your power and speed with higher intensity tempo and interval workouts as I describe below.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Base/Endurance </strong>– The objective of this training is to ultimately prepare your body to be in the saddle for approximately the same amount of time you’ll be riding on the day of your event.&#0160; This weekly workout is your long ride (as in hours) and should be done on the same day of the week you’re race is planned.&#0160; Your body likes and adjusts to patterns, so if the event is on a Sunday, try your best to schedule your weekly long ride on a Sunday.&#0160;&#0160; This ride should be done at a moderate to easy pace, which uses fat as the primary fuel source (yes, you’ll probably lose some weight riding a bike, as long as you eat sensibly). Increase your weekly riding distances so by the time you reach event day, you’re comfortable riding close to, or the actual distance you’ve selected to participate in.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Tempo </strong>– Given most Grand Fondo events will have hills and head winds, it’s important that you train your body to ride at a harder intensity than what you do during your long endurance rides.&#0160; Just remember if you never ride hard, don’t expect to ride hard on event day.&#0160; In the absence of knowing your training zones based on your anaerobic threshold, this ride should be at an intensity whereby talking to your riding partner starts to become difficult because you’re breathing hard.&#0160; The total time for this workout should be approximately 60 &#0160;to 90 minutes.&#0160; You should start and finish with 10 minutes of easy riding to warm up and cool down and the actual hard tempo component should be broken into 15 – 20 minute intervals with 5 minutes of easy riding to recover between sets.&#0160; Cycling is as much about mental endurance as it is about physical endurance and this is a very effective way to train your mind to push through periods of discomfort. </p> <p><strong>Intervals</strong> – if you want to increase your speed or ability to climb hills or simply to keep up with the group and enjoy the benefit of their draft, interval training is a must.&#0160; There are a number of ways to perform intervals, but they’re all based on the same concept of doing an all-out effort followed by a rest period, which is repeated multiple times.&#0160; For example, after you’ve done a10 minute warm-up, find a local hill and ride hard up at a pace that you would have trouble holding a conversation because you’re breathing so hard.&#0160; After a couple minutes of this hard effort,&#0160;relax and recover as you take your time riding back down the hill and repeat this process for&#0160;30 –&#0160;60 minutes.&#0160; Another way is to find a stretch of flat road with minimal traffic and ride as hard as you can (preferably into the wind) for a couple of minutes, then turn around and ride very easy to the original start point and keep doing this loop for 30 - 60 minutes.&#0160; It may look strange repeating these loops, but this type of training is very effective and yields great performance results.</p> <p><strong>Rest Day(s)</strong> – On any given training week you should incorporate rest into your training plan. &#0160;A couple days of scheduled rest will increase the quality of the three key training sessions described above.&#0160; Rest days can be either a complete day off, or a day of easy spinning. It’s better to be well rested, than over trained and burned out when heading into your event.&#0160; So make sure you get plenty of rest to allow your body to recover from your high quality training sessions.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Food &amp; Drink</strong></span></p> <p>It’s important to know that between your liver and muscles you only have 2 to 3 hours of energy stored in your body in the form of glycogen.&#0160; If you plan on being on your bike longer than that, you’ll have to eat some food that’s high in carbohydrates as fuel.&#0160; The rule of thumb that seems to work for most poeple is to take you weight in kilograms and eat that amount of carbs in grams per hour.&#0160; For example, I weight 155lbs (70kgs), so I eat about 70 gm of carbohydrate every hour of riding after the first hour.&#0160; That said, figuring out what to eat is a little harder and is as much an art, as it is a science.&#0160; Even after 30+ years of riding, I&#39;m style fine tuning what I eat while riding to maximize my performance.&#0160; Some people have sensitive stomachs (like me) and have trouble with many of the&#0160;over the counter&#0160;products found in stores, so I generally I make my own out of real food.&#0160; I tell everyone I coach to, “eat your carbs and drink your electrolytes”.&#0160; </p> <p>Besides building up your endurance, your long rides will provide you the opportunity to test what food and hydration combination what works best for you, being mindful of the balance between performance and GI issues.</p> <p>I have a second home in Arizona where the temperatures can sour to 40C during any given ride and careful attention to hydration is paramount.&#0160; Hydration needs change from person to person but we’re all affected somehow by the temperature.&#0160; You should know your hydration needs long before event day so you don’t become dehydrated on your big day.&#0160; The easiest way to do this is simply weight yourself before and after your rides.&#0160; You should drink enough fluid not to lose more than 2% of your body weight, as this will negatively impact your performance.&#0160; Note that every kilo (2.2lbs) of weight loss is equal to one liter of sweat and you should adjust your fluid intake accordingly.&#0160; </p> <p>What to drink is also important.&#0160; If you’re riding under a couple hours, generally water will do, but longer than that will require electrolyte replacement, particularly salt.&#0160; I personally drink a product called Skratch, which comes in a powder and can be easily added to water when I ride distances that require electrolytes.&#0160; I particularly like this product because it closely simulates the water and electrolytes lost through sweat, less all the sugars found in popular energy drinks.&#0160; And best of all, it doesn’t upset my sensitive stomach like the sugary drinks.&#0160; Click on this <a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/news/5652012-why-sports-drinks-are-important" target="_blank" title="Skratch">Skratch</a> link as they have some good information about electrolyte loss.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>SAFETY</strong></span></p> <p>I want to talk about, 1) safety while training by yourself, about motorists&#0160;and 2) safety on the day of your event or in a group ride setting.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Training Safety</strong> - Because you share the road with motor vehicles, you want to be aware of your surroundings at all times, using <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">all</span></strong> your senses.&#0160; This includes your hearing.&#0160; You can’t hear vehicles approaching behind you if the traffic noise is drowned out by your favourite tune on your iPod.&#0160; Use common sense and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">NEVER</span> listen to an iPod in a city or high traffic areas.&#0160; If you’re riding on a large paved shoulder on a lightly traveled country road, well maybe you can listen to music, but only if the volume is turned down low enough that you can hear approaching traffic.&#0160; And <span style="text-decoration: underline;">NEVER</span> use iPods in an organized event or group ride regardless of how light the motor vehicle traffic is.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>About Motorists</strong> - Get comfortable with being able to glance frequently around you, including behind yourself so you’re always aware of the traffic situation.&#0160; A bicycle is a vehicle and you must obey the same rules of the road as you would if you were&#0160;driving a car.&#0160; On group training rides, unless you’re riding on a wide paved shoulder, always ride a single paceline so traffic can pass safely.&#0160; Don’t give motorists more reasons to dislike cyclists than they already seem to have by riding two or three abreast.&#0160; And should you be comfronted by an angry person behind the wheel, don&#39;t escalate the situation by yelling or &quot;flipping the bird&quot;.&#0160; You’ll never win an argument with some person driving a car or truck.&#0160; You may be right, but you can be &quot;dead right&quot;.</p> <p><strong>Event or Group Riding</strong> - Riding close to others is very different than riding by yourself. &#0160;Not only should you be aware of traffic and your surroundings for your own good, but for the good of the group.&#0160; Also, you should be comfortable riding close to other riders that may be less than a foot behind, or in front of you.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 1" /></a></p> <p>Below are a few pointers to keep you and everyone around you safe:</p> <ul> <li>When riding a paceline, the lead person should point out potential road hazards, like debris or potholes to the person behind them and each person relay this information through the pack.&#0160; </li> <li>Don’t be shy to verbally communicate&#0160;your intentions, or if you’re uncomfortable, or if someone in the group&#0160;isn’t following proper rider etiquette.&#0160; Your safety and the safety of the group take priority over hurting someone&#39;s&#0160;feelings.</li> <li>Don’t simply rely on the person in front of you for your personal safety by only looking down at they’re rear wheel.&#0160; Always look up the road for yourself and communicate and react accordingly. </li> <li>Don’t overlap your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you.&#0160; The rider in the back is always the one that goes down when wheels touch, and it happens in an instant.</li> <li>&#0160;<strong>“Hold your line” and “Hold your pace”.&#0160;</strong> No sudden moves.&#0160; If you can’t hold your pace or your line, you should practice more by yourself for the safety of the group and yourself.</li> <li>Never ride a bike with aerobars in a group ride where a paceline develops. Leave this for the pros and enjoy watching them on TV as they ride at over 60km/hr with only a few inches separating their wheels.</li> <li>If you’re new to riding in a paceline, wait until you’re at the back to eat or drink.&#0160; </li> <li>When it’s your turn to take a pull, don’t sprint off the front causing the whole group to sprint to keep up.&#0160; Ride at the group’s pace taking short pulls at the front&#0160;and then let the next person come through for their turn at the front in a smooth consistent pace.&#0160; No sudden moves.&#0160; Making sudden changes while riding in close quarters cause stress and increases the potential for unnecessary crashes.</li> </ul> <p><strong>NOTE:</strong>&#0160;&#0160;<em>There are only two types of cyclist, those who have crashed and those who will crash, so stack the deck in your favour and do everything possible to keep the rubber side down for as long as possible.</em></p> <p>This has been a high level summary of a few things that will make your ride on event day a little more enjoyable and safe.&#0160; There are hundreds of books dedicated to any one of these topics, so this only scratches the surface, but will set you off in the right direction.&#0160; </p> <p>Cycling captures that wonderful sense of freedom we all enjoyed as children when we got our first two-wheeler and were allowed to explore the neighbour.&#0160; If you want to feel young forever, ride a bike.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b" height="313" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 3" width="186" /></a></p> <p>A&#0160;friend of mine&#0160;is organizing the <a href="http://www.granfondocanmore.com/" target="_blank" title="Gran Fondo Canmore">Gran Fondo Canmore </a>being held on July 6th, 2013 in the beautiful Canadian Rockies asked if I would write a post about preparing for such an event. I hope this post contains some high level information that enhances your experience while keeping you safe.</p> <p>Firstly, for those of you who are new to the term “Gran Fondo”.&#0160; A <strong>Gran Fondo</strong>, (or cyclosportive, or simply referred to as a sportive in most European countries), is a short to long distance, organized, mass-participation cycling event. &#0160;Gran Fondo is the Italian term commonly used for these events in the North America and most English-speaking countries and they&#39;re springing up all over the place.&#0160; It&#39;s been said that cycling is the new golf.&#0160; Now I don&#39;t know if this is true, but I certainly know cycling is a great form of exercise that can be enjoyed at any age.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa63b0ae970d-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 2" /></a></p> <p>These events are not considered cycling races and riders of all calibers participate.&#0160; For the recreation rider, finishing and sharing the outdoors with good friends and like minded participants is the primary objective, and for the more competitive cyclists, well, they give you a number and a provide you with a finishing time, so for guys like me, that&#39;s enough to be competitive.</p> <p>Since the range and abilities of cyclists riding in any Gran Fondo are vastly different, I will focus this post more on the basics, as the seasoned riders will be well versed in these concepts.&#0160; I will provide basic information on:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Bike Setup, </strong></li> <li><strong>Training, </strong></li> <li><strong>Food &amp; Drink</strong></li> <li><strong>Safety</strong>&#0160;&#0160; </li> </ol> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Bike Set-up</strong></span></p> <p>So before we can talk about bike set up, you have to answer the following question: &#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Are you more interested in cycling performance, or do you care more about comfort and enjoying the scenery?&#0160; </em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca5d9f5970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Riding Positions" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029bebec970c-800wi" title="Riding Positions" /></a><br /></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">The answer to this question determines how you position yourself on your bike. How your friend sets up his or her bike will have little to no bearing on your setup, even if he or she has exactly the same body measurements. You know why you ride a bike and only you know what trade-offs you’re willing to make in order to achieve your purpose on a bicycle.&#0160; Below I will describe some general concepts for you to consider, but&#0160;to get your bike fitted properly, especially if you’re new to cycling, while keeping&#0160;the answer to the question above in mind, I suggest you visit your local bike shop for assistance.&#0160; Below are some basics to consider.</p> <p><strong>Fore/aft Position:&#0160;</strong>After establishing the height of your saddle, the fore/aft position is the most important position and is based on what type of riding you prefer to do.&#0160; Are you looking for “comfort” or “power &amp; performance”?&#0160; It’s a trade-off.&#0160; Here’s how to start.&#0160; Get comfortable while in the dropped portion of your handlebars and then take your hands off the bars and hold the position without the use of your arms holding you up.&#0160; If you require your arms to hold you up because you have to strain your torso muscles, you’re probably in&#0160;the performance position, but if you can hold the position just with your torso muscles without too much effort, you’re more likely in a touring position.&#0160; I always recommend new riders to be comfortable on their bike and over time if they continue riding, they will migrate to varying degrees of the performance position.&#0160; </p> <p>If you watch pro cyclists on TV, you will notice they bent way over with their backs flat in the power position to maximize their performance.&#0160; The compromise is it’s not initially comfortable as the touring posiiton and takes years of training&#0160;to get&#0160;used to this extreme position.&#0160; That&#39;s assuming you&#39;re even interested in this type of riding.</p> <p>Regardless of whether you want to tour or race, as you ride more you will find yourself leaning further forward into the power position by extending your stem length and/or moving your saddle further back.&#0160; Note: as you move your saddle forward or rearward, you are effectively changing the saddle height relative to the cranks, since the saddle rails are not perpendicular to the seat tube. So be prepared to change the seat height as you adjust the fore-aft saddle position; lowering the saddle as you move it back to maintain the same leg extension, while raising it as you move the saddle forward, always keeping a slight bend in the knee whereby you never find yourself rocking your hips while peddling. </p> <p>I find most new riders opt out for a shorter stem length with many spacers that raises their handlebar height so they’re in a that comfortable upright position.&#0160; They will also notice they don’t ride as fast as the seasoned riders that are bend over.&#0160; Besides their training, seasoned cyclists position themselves for maximum power and aerodynamics (which I’ll get to in a moment).&#0160; But it takes time to gradually move into this riding position, so if you want to enjoy your first Gran Fondo withour the sore neck and back, think comfort first.</p> <p><strong>Aerodynamics:&#0160;</strong>The distance from the nose of your saddle to the middle of your handlebars is an important measurement to keep in mind.&#0160; &#0160;If you stick with cycling over the years, this measurement will get larger, because you’ll be, 1) more comfortable in the power position mentioned above, and 2) be more aerodynamically efficient. &#0160;</p> <p>If you look at bikes specifically built for individual speed efforts&#0160;(time trials or triathlons), they are designed to maximize power and aerodynamics.&#0160; In fact, the rider is in such an extreme position; they require pads on their handlebars to rest their arms because there’s no way the torso muscles could hold them in that position for very long. Besides being in the power position, reducing wind resistance is extremely important because the coefficient of drag (wind resistance) increases by the power of 3 relative to&#0160;your speed.&#0160; In simpler terms, the smaller profile you present to the wind (i.e. lower body position) will reduce your power requirements to maintain a certain speed.&#0160; New riders almost always ride more upright, thereby presenting a larger surface area to the wind thereby increasing the coefficient of drag, while also being in a position that reduces their power output.&#0160; Below is a picture of 2012 Tour de France and Olympic Time Trail Champion, Bradley Wiggins showing this&#0160;principle in action, enroute to his Tour victory.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="WigginsTT" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0192aa642bf2970d-800wi" title="WigginsTT" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b4117970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p><strong>Summary: </strong>So when you set up your bike and you’re new to cycling I suggest you focus on comfort first, but be mindful of the trade-off you’re making when it comes to power and aerodynamics.&#0160; And if you’re a seasoned rider, slam that big dog stem as low as it can go and remember <a href="http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/" target="_blank" title="Cycling Rules">Rule #5 of the Velominati</a> rules of cycling.&#0160; </p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Training</strong></span></p> <p>If this is your first Gran Fondo&#0160;you have time to prepare yourself for a summer Gran Fondo event to maximize your riding experience.&#0160; Since most Gran Fondos have different distances to choose from, like the <a href="http://www.granfondocanmore.com/#!100miles/c81f" target="_blank" title="Course">Canmore event</a>, your training distances may vary from someone doing a shorter distance, but the concepts remain the same.&#0160; </p> <p>I coach a number of people and supply them with a structured program based on their personal Anaerobic Thresholds and incorporates techniques and training loads, balanced by micro and macro rest and recovery periods.&#0160; Their training is provided in the form of a daily workout schedule to ensure they achieve peak performance on the day of their targeted event.&#0160; Since I won’t be providing that level of detail to such a wide audience, I will share with some basic concepts to get you prepared so you’ll enjoy your day of riding during the event.</p> <p>If you’re just starting to get acquainted with your new bike without having done much training in the past few months (or years), your goal will be to build an endurance base tailored for cycling with the majority of your riding done at a low to moderate effort. Your weekly training plan will encompass three different workouts, each designed to tap into different energy systems required to comfortably complete such an event.&#0160; These three workouts are: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Base/Endurance, </strong></li> <li><strong>Tempo and </strong></li> <li><strong>Intervals.&#0160; </strong></li> </ol> <p>If you’re new to cycling or just cleaning the dust of your machine now, you will focus most of your training time on Base/Endurance workouts with a little Tempo riding.&#0160; And if you’ve been riding indoors throughout the winter months and already have a good base, you may want to increase your power and speed with higher intensity tempo and interval workouts as I describe below.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Base/Endurance </strong>– The objective of this training is to ultimately prepare your body to be in the saddle for approximately the same amount of time you’ll be riding on the day of your event.&#0160; This weekly workout is your long ride (as in hours) and should be done on the same day of the week you’re race is planned.&#0160; Your body likes and adjusts to patterns, so if the event is on a Sunday, try your best to schedule your weekly long ride on a Sunday.&#0160;&#0160; This ride should be done at a moderate to easy pace, which uses fat as the primary fuel source (yes, you’ll probably lose some weight riding a bike, as long as you eat sensibly). Increase your weekly riding distances so by the time you reach event day, you’re comfortable riding close to, or the actual distance you’ve selected to participate in.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Tempo </strong>– Given most Grand Fondo events will have hills and head winds, it’s important that you train your body to ride at a harder intensity than what you do during your long endurance rides.&#0160; Just remember if you never ride hard, don’t expect to ride hard on event day.&#0160; In the absence of knowing your training zones based on your anaerobic threshold, this ride should be at an intensity whereby talking to your riding partner starts to become difficult because you’re breathing hard.&#0160; The total time for this workout should be approximately 60 &#0160;to 90 minutes.&#0160; You should start and finish with 10 minutes of easy riding to warm up and cool down and the actual hard tempo component should be broken into 15 – 20 minute intervals with 5 minutes of easy riding to recover between sets.&#0160; Cycling is as much about mental endurance as it is about physical endurance and this is a very effective way to train your mind to push through periods of discomfort. </p> <p><strong>Intervals</strong> – if you want to increase your speed or ability to climb hills or simply to keep up with the group and enjoy the benefit of their draft, interval training is a must.&#0160; There are a number of ways to perform intervals, but they’re all based on the same concept of doing an all-out effort followed by a rest period, which is repeated multiple times.&#0160; For example, after you’ve done a10 minute warm-up, find a local hill and ride hard up at a pace that you would have trouble holding a conversation because you’re breathing so hard.&#0160; After a couple minutes of this hard effort,&#0160;relax and recover as you take your time riding back down the hill and repeat this process for&#0160;30 –&#0160;60 minutes.&#0160; Another way is to find a stretch of flat road with minimal traffic and ride as hard as you can (preferably into the wind) for a couple of minutes, then turn around and ride very easy to the original start point and keep doing this loop for 30 - 60 minutes.&#0160; It may look strange repeating these loops, but this type of training is very effective and yields great performance results.</p> <p><strong>Rest Day(s)</strong> – On any given training week you should incorporate rest into your training plan. &#0160;A couple days of scheduled rest will increase the quality of the three key training sessions described above.&#0160; Rest days can be either a complete day off, or a day of easy spinning. It’s better to be well rested, than over trained and burned out when heading into your event.&#0160; So make sure you get plenty of rest to allow your body to recover from your high quality training sessions.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Food &amp; Drink</strong></span></p> <p>It’s important to know that between your liver and muscles you only have 2 to 3 hours of energy stored in your body in the form of glycogen.&#0160; If you plan on being on your bike longer than that, you’ll have to eat some food that’s high in carbohydrates as fuel.&#0160; The rule of thumb that seems to work for most poeple is to take you weight in kilograms and eat that amount of carbs in grams per hour.&#0160; For example, I weight 155lbs (70kgs), so I eat about 70 gm of carbohydrate every hour of riding after the first hour.&#0160; That said, figuring out what to eat is a little harder and is as much an art, as it is a science.&#0160; Even after 30+ years of riding, I&#39;m style fine tuning what I eat while riding to maximize my performance.&#0160; Some people have sensitive stomachs (like me) and have trouble with many of the&#0160;over the counter&#0160;products found in stores, so I generally I make my own out of real food.&#0160; I tell everyone I coach to, “eat your carbs and drink your electrolytes”.&#0160; </p> <p>Besides building up your endurance, your long rides will provide you the opportunity to test what food and hydration combination what works best for you, being mindful of the balance between performance and GI issues.</p> <p>I have a second home in Arizona where the temperatures can sour to 40C during any given ride and careful attention to hydration is paramount.&#0160; Hydration needs change from person to person but we’re all affected somehow by the temperature.&#0160; You should know your hydration needs long before event day so you don’t become dehydrated on your big day.&#0160; The easiest way to do this is simply weight yourself before and after your rides.&#0160; You should drink enough fluid not to lose more than 2% of your body weight, as this will negatively impact your performance.&#0160; Note that every kilo (2.2lbs) of weight loss is equal to one liter of sweat and you should adjust your fluid intake accordingly.&#0160; </p> <p>What to drink is also important.&#0160; If you’re riding under a couple hours, generally water will do, but longer than that will require electrolyte replacement, particularly salt.&#0160; I personally drink a product called Skratch, which comes in a powder and can be easily added to water when I ride distances that require electrolytes.&#0160; I particularly like this product because it closely simulates the water and electrolytes lost through sweat, less all the sugars found in popular energy drinks.&#0160; And best of all, it doesn’t upset my sensitive stomach like the sugary drinks.&#0160; Click on this <a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/news/5652012-why-sports-drinks-are-important" target="_blank" title="Skratch">Skratch</a> link as they have some good information about electrolyte loss.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>SAFETY</strong></span></p> <p>I want to talk about, 1) safety while training by yourself, about motorists&#0160;and 2) safety on the day of your event or in a group ride setting.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>Training Safety</strong> - Because you share the road with motor vehicles, you want to be aware of your surroundings at all times, using <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">all</span></strong> your senses.&#0160; This includes your hearing.&#0160; You can’t hear vehicles approaching behind you if the traffic noise is drowned out by your favourite tune on your iPod.&#0160; Use common sense and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">NEVER</span> listen to an iPod in a city or high traffic areas.&#0160; If you’re riding on a large paved shoulder on a lightly traveled country road, well maybe you can listen to music, but only if the volume is turned down low enough that you can hear approaching traffic.&#0160; And <span style="text-decoration: underline;">NEVER</span> use iPods in an organized event or group ride regardless of how light the motor vehicle traffic is.&#0160; </p> <p><strong>About Motorists</strong> - Get comfortable with being able to glance frequently around you, including behind yourself so you’re always aware of the traffic situation.&#0160; A bicycle is a vehicle and you must obey the same rules of the road as you would if you were&#0160;driving a car.&#0160; On group training rides, unless you’re riding on a wide paved shoulder, always ride a single paceline so traffic can pass safely.&#0160; Don’t give motorists more reasons to dislike cyclists than they already seem to have by riding two or three abreast.&#0160; And should you be comfronted by an angry person behind the wheel, don&#39;t escalate the situation by yelling or &quot;flipping the bird&quot;.&#0160; You’ll never win an argument with some person driving a car or truck.&#0160; You may be right, but you can be &quot;dead right&quot;.</p> <p><strong>Event or Group Riding</strong> - Riding close to others is very different than riding by yourself. &#0160;Not only should you be aware of traffic and your surroundings for your own good, but for the good of the group.&#0160; Also, you should be comfortable riding close to other riders that may be less than a foot behind, or in front of you.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0191029b2ffa970c-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 1" /></a></p> <p>Below are a few pointers to keep you and everyone around you safe:</p> <ul> <li>When riding a paceline, the lead person should point out potential road hazards, like debris or potholes to the person behind them and each person relay this information through the pack.&#0160; </li> <li>Don’t be shy to verbally communicate&#0160;your intentions, or if you’re uncomfortable, or if someone in the group&#0160;isn’t following proper rider etiquette.&#0160; Your safety and the safety of the group take priority over hurting someone&#39;s&#0160;feelings.</li> <li>Don’t simply rely on the person in front of you for your personal safety by only looking down at they’re rear wheel.&#0160; Always look up the road for yourself and communicate and react accordingly. </li> <li>Don’t overlap your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you.&#0160; The rider in the back is always the one that goes down when wheels touch, and it happens in an instant.</li> <li>&#0160;<strong>“Hold your line” and “Hold your pace”.&#0160;</strong> No sudden moves.&#0160; If you can’t hold your pace or your line, you should practice more by yourself for the safety of the group and yourself.</li> <li>Never ride a bike with aerobars in a group ride where a paceline develops. Leave this for the pros and enjoy watching them on TV as they ride at over 60km/hr with only a few inches separating their wheels.</li> <li>If you’re new to riding in a paceline, wait until you’re at the back to eat or drink.&#0160; </li> <li>When it’s your turn to take a pull, don’t sprint off the front causing the whole group to sprint to keep up.&#0160; Ride at the group’s pace taking short pulls at the front&#0160;and then let the next person come through for their turn at the front in a smooth consistent pace.&#0160; No sudden moves.&#0160; Making sudden changes while riding in close quarters cause stress and increases the potential for unnecessary crashes.</li> </ul> <p><strong>NOTE:</strong>&#0160;&#0160;<em>There are only two types of cyclist, those who have crashed and those who will crash, so stack the deck in your favour and do everything possible to keep the rubber side down for as long as possible.</em></p> <p>This has been a high level summary of a few things that will make your ride on event day a little more enjoyable and safe.&#0160; There are hundreds of books dedicated to any one of these topics, so this only scratches the surface, but will set you off in the right direction.&#0160; </p> <p>Cycling captures that wonderful sense of freedom we all enjoyed as children when we got our first two-wheeler and were allowed to explore the neighbour.&#0160; If you want to feel young forever, ride a bike.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Gran Fondo 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b" height="313" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901ca54ff7970b-800wi" title="Gran Fondo 3" width="186" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01901bc805be970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-05-02T21:43:48Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017eeac509cc970dWhat goes in, must come out....http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-05-02T21:43:47Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>There’s a plethora of information about the good food and the bad food we put into your bodies everyday, but you don’t read much about what comes out. &#0160;I came across a great article written by Jonathan M. Vapnek, MD, a urologist and the clinical associate professor of urology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and I think you would be surprised by how much information can be gleaned from the urine you produce each day. </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Urine2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Urine2" /></a></p> <p>For example, the simple “dipstick” urine test that doctors often use to check for a urinary tract infection also can help them diagnose kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. But there is more.</p> <p><strong><em>What you may not realize:</em></strong> If you know what to look for, you can tell a lot about your health just by being aware of the physical characteristics of your urine—such as colour, smell and frequency. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>COLOUR</strong></span></p> <p>When you’re healthy and drinking enough water, your urine should be mainly clear or straw-coloured with just a hint of yellow. The yellow colour comes from <em>urochrome</em>, a pigment produced by the breakdown of a protein in red blood cells.</p> <p>Urine is naturally darker in the morning because you don’t drink water while you sleep. If a colour change persists, however, it could be a problem. </p> <p><em>For example...</em></p> <p><strong>Brown or dark brown.</strong> Pay attention if your urine is dark for more than a week.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Liver disease. The liver normally breaks down and excretes <em>bilirubin</em>, a pigment that’s produced by the turnover of red blood cells. Patients with liver disease accumulate bilirubin. This initially will cause <em>jaundice</em>, a yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes. As more bilirubin accumulates, it can cause the urine to become brown. A combination of dark-coloured urine <em>and</em> jaundice means that liver disease might be getting worse. See your doctor right away.</p> <p>Dark-coloured urine also can be a side effect of some antibiotics, laxatives and muscle relaxants. Eating large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can cause brown urine as well. In some cases, dark-coloured urine can signal kidney failure.</p> <p><strong>Red or pink</strong>. Urine that’s tinged with red or pink could simply mean that you have been eating beets. (The medical term for beet-induced urine changes is <em>beeturia</em>). Or it could mean that you’re urinating blood.</p> <p>The <em>amount</em> of blood will affect the colour. If the urine resembles cabernet wine, you’re bleeding a lot…urine that’s pinkish or just slightly red contains only traces of blood. A microscopic amount of blood won’t be visible—it can be detected only with a laboratory test.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Blood in the urine is always a problem. Make an appointment to see your doctor. If you see blood and it also hurts when you urinate, you could have an infection—in the urethra, bladder or kidney or even a malignancy in the bladder, for example. Bleeding <em>without</em> pain also can indicate these conditions.</p> <p><strong>Green.</strong> Though rare, a person’s urine can turn a greenish colour.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Green urine can appear when you’ve consumed a chemical dye—from food colouring, for example, or from taking medications such as <em>amitriptyline</em> (Elavil), an antidepressant, or <em>indomethacin</em> (Indocin), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. In some cases, urine with a greenish tint can signal a urinary tract infection with certain bacteria (such as <em>pseudomonas</em>) that affect the colour.</p> <p>If your urine is greenish, increase fluid intake to see if it clears. If it doesn’t in two days, see your doctor or a urologist.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;">&#0160;<strong>ODOUR</strong></span></p> <p>If you’re healthy, your urine should be highly diluted, consisting of about 95% water, with only small amounts of dissolved chemical compounds and metabolic by-products. It typically has no—or only a faint—odour.</p> <p>Of course everyone is familiar with the effect that asparagus and some other foods, such as onions or fish, have on the smell of one’s urine. This strong “rotten” smell is due to the chemical compounds in certain foods, particularly molecules that are not completely broken down by the body. The smell usually disappears within a day or so.</p> <p><em>Some other less common urine smells include…</em></p> <p><strong>Ammonia-like.</strong> If your urine is concentrated, with a larger-than-normal amount of <em>urea</em> (a chemical compound in urine), you might smell an aroma that resembles ammonia. Or you might just notice that it has a stronger smell than usual.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Dehydration. The less water you drink, the higher the concentration of urea and other substances—and the stronger the smell. You can diagnose this yourself by drinking, say, one extra glass of water an hour for several hours to add water to your urine. The strong urine smell will probably disappear within a few hours. If it does not, see your doctor.</p> <p><strong>Foul-smelling.</strong> If your urine smells foul or unusual in any way for more than a few days, pay attention to the odour.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> If it’s not caused by a food that you’ve eaten, it could signal an infection in the bladder or kidneys. Less often, it’s due to a metabolic disorder that reduces the body’s ability to fully break down foods during digestion.</p> <p>Uncontrolled diabetes can cause an abnormally sweet odour, and penicillin can cause a distinctive medicinal odour.</p> <p>Even if you have no other symptoms, such as pain while urinating, but your urine continues to have an unusually strong smell for more than a couple of days, talk to your doctor.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>FOAMY OR BUBBLY</strong></span></p> <p>It’s natural to see foam in the toilet when you <em>really</em> have to go and have a heavy stream. But urine that’s consistently foamy or bubbly could mean that you’re losing protein.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Kidney disease. Large amounts of protein in the urine is one of the main signs of chronic kidney disease. See your doctor right away.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>MUCUS OR CLOUDY</strong></span></p> <p>Mucus in urine could indicate inflammation in the urinary tract.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Urinary tract infection. See your doctor.</p> <p>Cloudy urine also can be related to infection but often is just an indication that your urine is alkaline, which is harmless at low levels.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>VOLUME AND FREQUENCY</strong></span></p> <p>The average adult typically urinates four to eight times in 24 hours. A change in the frequency of your urinary habits, including getting up more than twice a night to urinate, or an increase or decrease in the amount that you urinate, warrants attention.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> An increase in the frequency of urination, along with an increase in volume, is one of the telltale signs of diabetes.</p> <p>If the amount of urine seems the same but you’re urinating more often, you could have a urinary tract infection. If this is the case, you’ll probably have very strong urges to urinate even when just a small amount comes out.</p> <p>Frequency of urination and/or <em>urinary urgency</em> in the absence of a urinary tract infection can indicate an overactive bladder.</p> <p>In men, enlargement of the prostate gland can trigger urinary urgency. Patients with neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, can also have this symptom. Don’t worry if there’s been a decrease in the amount or frequency of urination. You probably just need to drink more water. If this doesn’t help, see your doctor.</p> <p>So a basic understanding of the physical characteristics of&#0160;the pee coming out of your body can be just as important as what you&#39;re putting&#0160;in your body.&#0160; That being said, I can almost guarantee that if what’s going in isn’t healthy, what’s coming out will simply confirm it.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017eeac5603d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901bc7f9e0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Urine" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c" height="247" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c-800wi" title="Urine" width="329" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p> <p>There’s a plethora of information about the good food and the bad food we put into your bodies everyday, but you don’t read much about what comes out. &#0160;I came across a great article written by Jonathan M. Vapnek, MD, a urologist and the clinical associate professor of urology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and I think you would be surprised by how much information can be gleaned from the urine you produce each day. </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Urine2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bdaf66970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Urine2" /></a></p> <p>For example, the simple “dipstick” urine test that doctors often use to check for a urinary tract infection also can help them diagnose kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. But there is more.</p> <p><strong><em>What you may not realize:</em></strong> If you know what to look for, you can tell a lot about your health just by being aware of the physical characteristics of your urine—such as colour, smell and frequency. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>COLOUR</strong></span></p> <p>When you’re healthy and drinking enough water, your urine should be mainly clear or straw-coloured with just a hint of yellow. The yellow colour comes from <em>urochrome</em>, a pigment produced by the breakdown of a protein in red blood cells.</p> <p>Urine is naturally darker in the morning because you don’t drink water while you sleep. If a colour change persists, however, it could be a problem. </p> <p><em>For example...</em></p> <p><strong>Brown or dark brown.</strong> Pay attention if your urine is dark for more than a week.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Liver disease. The liver normally breaks down and excretes <em>bilirubin</em>, a pigment that’s produced by the turnover of red blood cells. Patients with liver disease accumulate bilirubin. This initially will cause <em>jaundice</em>, a yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes. As more bilirubin accumulates, it can cause the urine to become brown. A combination of dark-coloured urine <em>and</em> jaundice means that liver disease might be getting worse. See your doctor right away.</p> <p>Dark-coloured urine also can be a side effect of some antibiotics, laxatives and muscle relaxants. Eating large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can cause brown urine as well. In some cases, dark-coloured urine can signal kidney failure.</p> <p><strong>Red or pink</strong>. Urine that’s tinged with red or pink could simply mean that you have been eating beets. (The medical term for beet-induced urine changes is <em>beeturia</em>). Or it could mean that you’re urinating blood.</p> <p>The <em>amount</em> of blood will affect the colour. If the urine resembles cabernet wine, you’re bleeding a lot…urine that’s pinkish or just slightly red contains only traces of blood. A microscopic amount of blood won’t be visible—it can be detected only with a laboratory test.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Blood in the urine is always a problem. Make an appointment to see your doctor. If you see blood and it also hurts when you urinate, you could have an infection—in the urethra, bladder or kidney or even a malignancy in the bladder, for example. Bleeding <em>without</em> pain also can indicate these conditions.</p> <p><strong>Green.</strong> Though rare, a person’s urine can turn a greenish colour.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Green urine can appear when you’ve consumed a chemical dye—from food colouring, for example, or from taking medications such as <em>amitriptyline</em> (Elavil), an antidepressant, or <em>indomethacin</em> (Indocin), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. In some cases, urine with a greenish tint can signal a urinary tract infection with certain bacteria (such as <em>pseudomonas</em>) that affect the colour.</p> <p>If your urine is greenish, increase fluid intake to see if it clears. If it doesn’t in two days, see your doctor or a urologist.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;">&#0160;<strong>ODOUR</strong></span></p> <p>If you’re healthy, your urine should be highly diluted, consisting of about 95% water, with only small amounts of dissolved chemical compounds and metabolic by-products. It typically has no—or only a faint—odour.</p> <p>Of course everyone is familiar with the effect that asparagus and some other foods, such as onions or fish, have on the smell of one’s urine. This strong “rotten” smell is due to the chemical compounds in certain foods, particularly molecules that are not completely broken down by the body. The smell usually disappears within a day or so.</p> <p><em>Some other less common urine smells include…</em></p> <p><strong>Ammonia-like.</strong> If your urine is concentrated, with a larger-than-normal amount of <em>urea</em> (a chemical compound in urine), you might smell an aroma that resembles ammonia. Or you might just notice that it has a stronger smell than usual.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Dehydration. The less water you drink, the higher the concentration of urea and other substances—and the stronger the smell. You can diagnose this yourself by drinking, say, one extra glass of water an hour for several hours to add water to your urine. The strong urine smell will probably disappear within a few hours. If it does not, see your doctor.</p> <p><strong>Foul-smelling.</strong> If your urine smells foul or unusual in any way for more than a few days, pay attention to the odour.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> If it’s not caused by a food that you’ve eaten, it could signal an infection in the bladder or kidneys. Less often, it’s due to a metabolic disorder that reduces the body’s ability to fully break down foods during digestion.</p> <p>Uncontrolled diabetes can cause an abnormally sweet odour, and penicillin can cause a distinctive medicinal odour.</p> <p>Even if you have no other symptoms, such as pain while urinating, but your urine continues to have an unusually strong smell for more than a couple of days, talk to your doctor.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>FOAMY OR BUBBLY</strong></span></p> <p>It’s natural to see foam in the toilet when you <em>really</em> have to go and have a heavy stream. But urine that’s consistently foamy or bubbly could mean that you’re losing protein.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Kidney disease. Large amounts of protein in the urine is one of the main signs of chronic kidney disease. See your doctor right away.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>MUCUS OR CLOUDY</strong></span></p> <p>Mucus in urine could indicate inflammation in the urinary tract.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> Urinary tract infection. See your doctor.</p> <p>Cloudy urine also can be related to infection but often is just an indication that your urine is alkaline, which is harmless at low levels.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>VOLUME AND FREQUENCY</strong></span></p> <p>The average adult typically urinates four to eight times in 24 hours. A change in the frequency of your urinary habits, including getting up more than twice a night to urinate, or an increase or decrease in the amount that you urinate, warrants attention.</p> <p><strong><em>What this usually means:</em></strong> An increase in the frequency of urination, along with an increase in volume, is one of the telltale signs of diabetes.</p> <p>If the amount of urine seems the same but you’re urinating more often, you could have a urinary tract infection. If this is the case, you’ll probably have very strong urges to urinate even when just a small amount comes out.</p> <p>Frequency of urination and/or <em>urinary urgency</em> in the absence of a urinary tract infection can indicate an overactive bladder.</p> <p>In men, enlargement of the prostate gland can trigger urinary urgency. Patients with neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, can also have this symptom. Don’t worry if there’s been a decrease in the amount or frequency of urination. You probably just need to drink more water. If this doesn’t help, see your doctor.</p> <p>So a basic understanding of the physical characteristics of&#0160;the pee coming out of your body can be just as important as what you&#39;re putting&#0160;in your body.&#0160; That being said, I can almost guarantee that if what’s going in isn’t healthy, what’s coming out will simply confirm it.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017eeac5603d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01901bc7f9e0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Urine" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c" height="247" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b019101bddc21970c-800wi" title="Urine" width="329" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017d422da85b970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-03-21T23:05:36Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c37fdf846970bWhat Are You Made Of?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-03-21T23:05:35Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>My regular guest blogger, Dr Les Davidson and I align on most health related topics and this week is no exception.&#0160; Of the people that actually monitor their body weight, I wonder how many understand what makes up the number on their scale, and why is it important.&#0160; That’s the topic of today’s post by Dr Les.</p> <p>Besides our nation being just lazy, the obesity epidemic gripping North America may be in part due to what I call, “<em><strong>health illiteracy</strong></em>”.&#0160; So many people have preconceived ideas of what “healthy” is, but in actual fact they score very low on the health literacy scale when it comes to nutrition, diet, body weight, fitness, sleep, stress, etc., and even lower on execution.</p> <p>Specifically related to Dr Les’ topic of weight, I’m experiencing this “illiteracy” first hand as I train for the hardest amateur bike race in the world this August -&#0160;<a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/multimedia" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Trailer">Haute Route</a>.&#0160; &#0160;This 7 day stage race starts in Geneva and finishes in Nice France and covers 860km through the beautiful French Alps.&#0160; But it&#39;s not the distance that makes this race so grueling; it’s the 21,000 meters (68,000 feet) of climbing&#0160;over the Alps that makes is so hard.&#0160; Below is the profile of the 7 days of racing facing the 600 participants of Haute Route.&#0160; </p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="HR Profile 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c-800wi" title="HR Profile 2" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0ec59970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br />Given the amount and severity of climbing involved, special attention to a rider&#39;s body weight and its composition is of primary concern to every participant.&#0160; There’s a reason why cyclists pay more attention to their weight than international super models, and it has little to&#0160;do with vanity.&#0160; In fact, it has everything to do with how much power a rider can produce for every kilogram of body weight.&#0160; And the relationship between power output and weight&#0160;has greater sagnificance when long, steep mountain climbs are&#0160;involved.</p> <p>At the beginning of January, I weighed 171lbs, but to race Haute Route, I would have to shed between 15lbs to 20lbs to increase my “power-to-weight” ratio to over 4 watts/kg.&#0160; Losing weight is just half the battle, as one must also be mindful of what type of weight that&#39;s lost.&#0160; In my case, I want to lose body fat, while maintaining or even increasing lean muscle mass.&#0160; </p> <p>There’s an old saying in business, “If you can measure it, you can manage it”.&#0160; So, at the beginning of February I started measuring my body fat using skin fold calipers.&#0160;&#0160;By focusing on the quality and even more importantly, the quatity of food I consumed, I now weight 156lbs.&#0160; During this time I also gained 4lbs of lean muscle,&#0160;so effectively I’ve lost 19lbs of body fat since January.&#0160; Since fat occupies more volume than muscle, I’ve also lost an inch from my chest, waist and hips, so I actually appear much thinner.&#0160; Below is my progression of weight loss and muscle gain since I started recording this information in February. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Body Fat" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d-800wi" title="Body Fat" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">And here in lies the “<strong>health illiteracy</strong>” issue.</p> <p>It seems in North America you can be overweight, or even obese, and no one will ever mention that you have a serious and potentially life threatening health issue.&#0160; In fact, a <a href="http://www.cfp.ca/content/53/9/1493.full" target="_blank" title="Parents image of healthy weight study">recent study</a> found that over 60% of parents with overweight children considered them to be of normal weight.&#0160; But if you’re thin, as in <strong>healthy</strong> thin, people take it upon themselves to point out that you’re too thin and don’t look healthy.&#0160; Can you imagine the reaction you would receive if you told a friend that she was overweight and didn&#39;t look healthy?&#0160; The duel standard is because of three reasons:</p> <ol> <li>Given there are so many overweight and obese people in North America, our mental model of what constitutes a healthy weight and size has been skewed over the decades.&#0160; People of a healthy thin composition are now in the minority and look different to the majority of overweight North Americans.</li> <li>Most people are illiterate when it comes to what a healthy size and weight should be.&#0160; Just like the majority of people no longer know what represents a healthy food portion.&#0160; As a result, the bigger is better attitude prevails.</li> <li>Finally, weight loss is generally associated with serious illnesses such as AIDS, Cancer or Eating Disorders.&#0160; My good friend <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Pierre LeClaire">Pierre LeClair </a>who I coach was once 250lbs.&#0160; After losing 80lbs last year, he tells me people that haven’t seen him for a while ask him if he’s sick because he looks too thin, even though he’s the healthiest he’s been in decades.</li> </ol> <p>This is obviously frustrating to a guy like myself that’s uber aware of my health and fitness, but more importantly, it draws attention to the fact that so many people are “<em><strong>health illiterate</strong></em>” which has negative consequences at both individual and national levels.&#0160; </p> <p>Dr Les, has done a great job of framing the issue, why it’s important to understand what you’re made of, monitoring&#0160;techniques, and how to bring yourself back to a healthy and well proportioned size.&#0160;</p> <p>As always with much of what I share, “<em><strong>knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch</strong></em>”.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob - March 2013" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c" height="315" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c-800wi" title="Rob - March 2013" width="168" /></a><br />&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>What Are You Made Of?</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>by: Dr Les Davidson</strong></span></p> <p>What are you made of? Or stated more technically, what is your body composition? Are you a lean, mean athletic machine, or are you getting a little soft?&#0160; Every year billions (with a “b”) of dollars are spent on weight-loss endeavors in North America. Beyond the obvious — looking good at the beach — is there any reason to be concerned about the composition of your body.</p> <p>As a competitive wrestler throughout high school and university, the scale was a constant companion because we were grouped according to our weight classes for competition.&#0160; I learned quickly that the quality of my weight was crucial; reducing extraneous fat became an important objective. Forty years later the challenge to maintain an optimum fat to muscle ratio is still there but my motivation is less about competing and more about remaining healthy and active. In order to do that, I need to pay close attention to my body composition.</p> <p>Body composition is simply a measurement of lean body mass (bones, muscles, ligaments and organs) compared to fat mass which is referred to as adipose tissue. Technology allows us to accurately measure the amount of lean mass versus fat mass. These measurements are expressed as percentages of overall weight and knowing these percentages and what they indicate is important to your health. </p> <p>A certain amount of body fat is essential to insulate our body, protect our organs from trauma, provide energy, and to assist hormone production necessary for reproduction. The amount of essential fat will vary dependent on sex and age but there are recommendations for ideal body fat percentages. The table below from the <strong>American Council on Exercise</strong> is typical fat percentages. </p> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>&#0160;</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p><strong>Male </strong></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p><strong>Female</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Essential fat</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>3-5%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>10-16%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Competitive Athletes</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>6-13%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>14-20%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Recreational Athletes</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>14-18%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>21-24%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Average</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>19-20%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>25-31%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Obese</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>25+%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>32+%</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>An equally important variable is where the fat is located; excess fat found at the waist (also known as central obesity) is associated with increased risk to our health. Our waists are thickened not just by the fat we can feel but also because excess fat accumulates around the organs (visceral adipose tissue). </p> <p>Historically, we believed this fat to be an inert storage of extra energy. Medical science has now come to understand that adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ that produces hormones associated with insulin resistance and general body inflammation. The conditions associated with excess fat are often discussed as separate syndromes but in reality, they are a group of interrelated issues that cascade into ill health. Insulin resistance and inflammation leads to Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X — conditions associated with an elevated risk of Type Two diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. There is also strong evidence that Metabolic Syndrome increases risk for certain Cancers. Then there is the impact that excess adipose tissue has on the musculoskeletal system with increased back pain and damage to the weight-bearing joints of the lower extremities. In my office each day I see patients impacted by being overweight. It may not cause their back, hip or knee pain but it aggravates their symptoms and limits their ability to be as active as needed to regain good health.</p> <p><strong>Determining your risk:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/02/you-think-youre-a-healthy-weight-think-again.html" target="_blank" title="Body weight composition">Body weight alone is a poor indicator of body composition </a>as it does not differentiate between lean tissue (bones, muscles, connective tissue and organs) and body fat. There is no single ideal percentage of body fat for everyone. Estimating body composition is attempted with the body mass index using the variables of weight and height (weight divided by height squared). More accurate methods using DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) or hydrostatic weighing (calculating what sinks (lean mass) versus what floats (fat) when the client is submerged under water) are often difficult for most individuals to access. Using calipers to measure skin folds or employing Bioimpedance are affected by the skill of the person measuring and the formulas applied, but can be easily mastered with a little practice. At our office we employ the bioimpedance method. With careful attention to patient hydration and selection of the optimum formula, we have had results that match closely to results of the DEXA scan.</p> <p>Another method to stratify those who have high levels of body fat ignores the percentage of lean mass and body fat and focuses instead on the amount of belly fat. Measuring your waist circumference may be a more sensitive test because, as I mentioned, Intra-abdominal or visceral fat (regardless of overall body fat) has a particularly strong correlation with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and other life shortening diseases. There are three ways that this measurement is used to quantify risk:</p> <ol> <li>Waist circumference, Absolute waist circumference (&gt;102 cm in men and &gt;88 cm in women)</li> <li>Waist–hip ratio (the circumference of the waist divided by that of the hips of &gt;0.9 for men and &gt;0.85 for women)[19]</li> <li>Waist circumference divided into height. This has been described as the index of central obesity. (0 .5 or greater is suggested as a sign of increased risk. More specifically the range for women was suggested to .47-.54 and for men as .51-.58).</li> </ol> <p><strong>Reducing the risk:</strong></p> <ol> <li><strong>Diet</strong>: You <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/03/four-common-diet-and-exercise-myths-dispelled.html" target="_blank" title="Diet and Exercise Myths">cannot exercise at the same pace </a>you can eat so it is critical to moderate your calories regardless of the protein, fat or carbohydrate content of your food or the amount you exercise. Look for food in a natural state with no “improvements” by the food industry (such as partially hydrogenated fat, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup).</li> <li><strong>Exercise</strong>: Just remember we are designed to move and not doing so compromises our health. Vary the intensity and duration and include resistance activity. This challenge becomes greater as we age because hormonal shifts make building lean mass harder and layering on fat easier</li> <li><strong>Sleep</strong>: Sleeping too little or of a poor interrupted quality increases insulin resistance and raises cortisol the stress hormone. (See Rob’s blog, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/01/the-sleep-mistake-many-of-us-make.html" target="_blank" title="Sleep Mistakes">The Sleep Mistake Many of Us Make</a>)</li> <li><strong>Stress reduction</strong>: Being overwhelmed or on heightened alert increases the sympathetic nervous system activity. This releases cortisol and directly increases belly fat. Moderating our moods by eating or drinking too much is often seen in response to stressful situations. </li> </ol> <p>The body has tremendous recuperative powers if it is provided with the right inputs. <strong>March is Nutrition month</strong> and I would like to encourage you to think of the importance of quantity as well as quality of your food! Exercise is critical for good health but it can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet! Don’t pursue some unrealistic and media-hyped expectation for your body.&#0160; People come in all shapes and sizes but no shape is improved by an expanding layer of belly fat. </p> <p>Pay more attention to what you’re made of. This will be good for your health and you just might look better on the beach this summer!</p> <p>My regular guest blogger, Dr Les Davidson and I align on most health related topics and this week is no exception.&#0160; Of the people that actually monitor their body weight, I wonder how many understand what makes up the number on their scale, and why is it important.&#0160; That’s the topic of today’s post by Dr Les.</p> <p>Besides our nation being just lazy, the obesity epidemic gripping North America may be in part due to what I call, “<em><strong>health illiteracy</strong></em>”.&#0160; So many people have preconceived ideas of what “healthy” is, but in actual fact they score very low on the health literacy scale when it comes to nutrition, diet, body weight, fitness, sleep, stress, etc., and even lower on execution.</p> <p>Specifically related to Dr Les’ topic of weight, I’m experiencing this “illiteracy” first hand as I train for the hardest amateur bike race in the world this August -&#0160;<a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/multimedia" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Trailer">Haute Route</a>.&#0160; &#0160;This 7 day stage race starts in Geneva and finishes in Nice France and covers 860km through the beautiful French Alps.&#0160; But it&#39;s not the distance that makes this race so grueling; it’s the 21,000 meters (68,000 feet) of climbing&#0160;over the Alps that makes is so hard.&#0160; Below is the profile of the 7 days of racing facing the 600 participants of Haute Route.&#0160; </p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="HR Profile 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d2019970c-800wi" title="HR Profile 2" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0ec59970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br />Given the amount and severity of climbing involved, special attention to a rider&#39;s body weight and its composition is of primary concern to every participant.&#0160; There’s a reason why cyclists pay more attention to their weight than international super models, and it has little to&#0160;do with vanity.&#0160; In fact, it has everything to do with how much power a rider can produce for every kilogram of body weight.&#0160; And the relationship between power output and weight&#0160;has greater sagnificance when long, steep mountain climbs are&#0160;involved.</p> <p>At the beginning of January, I weighed 171lbs, but to race Haute Route, I would have to shed between 15lbs to 20lbs to increase my “power-to-weight” ratio to over 4 watts/kg.&#0160; Losing weight is just half the battle, as one must also be mindful of what type of weight that&#39;s lost.&#0160; In my case, I want to lose body fat, while maintaining or even increasing lean muscle mass.&#0160; </p> <p>There’s an old saying in business, “If you can measure it, you can manage it”.&#0160; So, at the beginning of February I started measuring my body fat using skin fold calipers.&#0160;&#0160;By focusing on the quality and even more importantly, the quatity of food I consumed, I now weight 156lbs.&#0160; During this time I also gained 4lbs of lean muscle,&#0160;so effectively I’ve lost 19lbs of body fat since January.&#0160; Since fat occupies more volume than muscle, I’ve also lost an inch from my chest, waist and hips, so I actually appear much thinner.&#0160; Below is my progression of weight loss and muscle gain since I started recording this information in February. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Body Fat" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee9a0fa64970d-800wi" title="Body Fat" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">And here in lies the “<strong>health illiteracy</strong>” issue.</p> <p>It seems in North America you can be overweight, or even obese, and no one will ever mention that you have a serious and potentially life threatening health issue.&#0160; In fact, a <a href="http://www.cfp.ca/content/53/9/1493.full" target="_blank" title="Parents image of healthy weight study">recent study</a> found that over 60% of parents with overweight children considered them to be of normal weight.&#0160; But if you’re thin, as in <strong>healthy</strong> thin, people take it upon themselves to point out that you’re too thin and don’t look healthy.&#0160; Can you imagine the reaction you would receive if you told a friend that she was overweight and didn&#39;t look healthy?&#0160; The duel standard is because of three reasons:</p> <ol> <li>Given there are so many overweight and obese people in North America, our mental model of what constitutes a healthy weight and size has been skewed over the decades.&#0160; People of a healthy thin composition are now in the minority and look different to the majority of overweight North Americans.</li> <li>Most people are illiterate when it comes to what a healthy size and weight should be.&#0160; Just like the majority of people no longer know what represents a healthy food portion.&#0160; As a result, the bigger is better attitude prevails.</li> <li>Finally, weight loss is generally associated with serious illnesses such as AIDS, Cancer or Eating Disorders.&#0160; My good friend <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Pierre LeClaire">Pierre LeClair </a>who I coach was once 250lbs.&#0160; After losing 80lbs last year, he tells me people that haven’t seen him for a while ask him if he’s sick because he looks too thin, even though he’s the healthiest he’s been in decades.</li> </ol> <p>This is obviously frustrating to a guy like myself that’s uber aware of my health and fitness, but more importantly, it draws attention to the fact that so many people are “<em><strong>health illiterate</strong></em>” which has negative consequences at both individual and national levels.&#0160; </p> <p>Dr Les, has done a great job of framing the issue, why it’s important to understand what you’re made of, monitoring&#0160;techniques, and how to bring yourself back to a healthy and well proportioned size.&#0160;</p> <p>As always with much of what I share, “<em><strong>knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch</strong></em>”.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob - March 2013" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c" height="315" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d422d3d3d970c-800wi" title="Rob - March 2013" width="168" /></a><br />&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>What Are You Made Of?</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>by: Dr Les Davidson</strong></span></p> <p>What are you made of? Or stated more technically, what is your body composition? Are you a lean, mean athletic machine, or are you getting a little soft?&#0160; Every year billions (with a “b”) of dollars are spent on weight-loss endeavors in North America. Beyond the obvious — looking good at the beach — is there any reason to be concerned about the composition of your body.</p> <p>As a competitive wrestler throughout high school and university, the scale was a constant companion because we were grouped according to our weight classes for competition.&#0160; I learned quickly that the quality of my weight was crucial; reducing extraneous fat became an important objective. Forty years later the challenge to maintain an optimum fat to muscle ratio is still there but my motivation is less about competing and more about remaining healthy and active. In order to do that, I need to pay close attention to my body composition.</p> <p>Body composition is simply a measurement of lean body mass (bones, muscles, ligaments and organs) compared to fat mass which is referred to as adipose tissue. Technology allows us to accurately measure the amount of lean mass versus fat mass. These measurements are expressed as percentages of overall weight and knowing these percentages and what they indicate is important to your health. </p> <p>A certain amount of body fat is essential to insulate our body, protect our organs from trauma, provide energy, and to assist hormone production necessary for reproduction. The amount of essential fat will vary dependent on sex and age but there are recommendations for ideal body fat percentages. The table below from the <strong>American Council on Exercise</strong> is typical fat percentages. </p> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>&#0160;</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p><strong>Male </strong></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p><strong>Female</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Essential fat</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>3-5%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>10-16%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Competitive Athletes</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>6-13%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>14-20%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Recreational Athletes</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>14-18%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>21-24%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Average</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>19-20%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>25-31%</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>Obese</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>25+%</p> </td> <td valign="top" width="213"> <p>32+%</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>An equally important variable is where the fat is located; excess fat found at the waist (also known as central obesity) is associated with increased risk to our health. Our waists are thickened not just by the fat we can feel but also because excess fat accumulates around the organs (visceral adipose tissue). </p> <p>Historically, we believed this fat to be an inert storage of extra energy. Medical science has now come to understand that adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ that produces hormones associated with insulin resistance and general body inflammation. The conditions associated with excess fat are often discussed as separate syndromes but in reality, they are a group of interrelated issues that cascade into ill health. Insulin resistance and inflammation leads to Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X — conditions associated with an elevated risk of Type Two diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. There is also strong evidence that Metabolic Syndrome increases risk for certain Cancers. Then there is the impact that excess adipose tissue has on the musculoskeletal system with increased back pain and damage to the weight-bearing joints of the lower extremities. In my office each day I see patients impacted by being overweight. It may not cause their back, hip or knee pain but it aggravates their symptoms and limits their ability to be as active as needed to regain good health.</p> <p><strong>Determining your risk:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/02/you-think-youre-a-healthy-weight-think-again.html" target="_blank" title="Body weight composition">Body weight alone is a poor indicator of body composition </a>as it does not differentiate between lean tissue (bones, muscles, connective tissue and organs) and body fat. There is no single ideal percentage of body fat for everyone. Estimating body composition is attempted with the body mass index using the variables of weight and height (weight divided by height squared). More accurate methods using DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) or hydrostatic weighing (calculating what sinks (lean mass) versus what floats (fat) when the client is submerged under water) are often difficult for most individuals to access. Using calipers to measure skin folds or employing Bioimpedance are affected by the skill of the person measuring and the formulas applied, but can be easily mastered with a little practice. At our office we employ the bioimpedance method. With careful attention to patient hydration and selection of the optimum formula, we have had results that match closely to results of the DEXA scan.</p> <p>Another method to stratify those who have high levels of body fat ignores the percentage of lean mass and body fat and focuses instead on the amount of belly fat. Measuring your waist circumference may be a more sensitive test because, as I mentioned, Intra-abdominal or visceral fat (regardless of overall body fat) has a particularly strong correlation with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and other life shortening diseases. There are three ways that this measurement is used to quantify risk:</p> <ol> <li>Waist circumference, Absolute waist circumference (&gt;102 cm in men and &gt;88 cm in women)</li> <li>Waist–hip ratio (the circumference of the waist divided by that of the hips of &gt;0.9 for men and &gt;0.85 for women)[19]</li> <li>Waist circumference divided into height. This has been described as the index of central obesity. (0 .5 or greater is suggested as a sign of increased risk. More specifically the range for women was suggested to .47-.54 and for men as .51-.58).</li> </ol> <p><strong>Reducing the risk:</strong></p> <ol> <li><strong>Diet</strong>: You <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/03/four-common-diet-and-exercise-myths-dispelled.html" target="_blank" title="Diet and Exercise Myths">cannot exercise at the same pace </a>you can eat so it is critical to moderate your calories regardless of the protein, fat or carbohydrate content of your food or the amount you exercise. Look for food in a natural state with no “improvements” by the food industry (such as partially hydrogenated fat, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup).</li> <li><strong>Exercise</strong>: Just remember we are designed to move and not doing so compromises our health. Vary the intensity and duration and include resistance activity. This challenge becomes greater as we age because hormonal shifts make building lean mass harder and layering on fat easier</li> <li><strong>Sleep</strong>: Sleeping too little or of a poor interrupted quality increases insulin resistance and raises cortisol the stress hormone. (See Rob’s blog, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/01/the-sleep-mistake-many-of-us-make.html" target="_blank" title="Sleep Mistakes">The Sleep Mistake Many of Us Make</a>)</li> <li><strong>Stress reduction</strong>: Being overwhelmed or on heightened alert increases the sympathetic nervous system activity. This releases cortisol and directly increases belly fat. Moderating our moods by eating or drinking too much is often seen in response to stressful situations. </li> </ol> <p>The body has tremendous recuperative powers if it is provided with the right inputs. <strong>March is Nutrition month</strong> and I would like to encourage you to think of the importance of quantity as well as quality of your food! Exercise is critical for good health but it can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet! Don’t pursue some unrealistic and media-hyped expectation for your body.&#0160; People come in all shapes and sizes but no shape is improved by an expanding layer of belly fat. </p> <p>Pay more attention to what you’re made of. This will be good for your health and you just might look better on the beach this summer!</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017c379a07f5970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-03-12T21:24:15Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c26ec0970cFour Common Diet and Exercise Myths Dispelledhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-03-12T21:24:15Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Is it any wonder why so many North Americans are frustrated with the barrage of mixed messages regarding their diets and the roll of exercise?&#0160; &#0160;It’s my attempt to provide some clarity to many of misconceptions that guide people to their lifestyle choices, and as a result I write about and often share other articles that I feel assist in making informed health decisions for yourself and your families.</p> <p>That being said, I came across an excellent article by <a href="http://drhyman.com/about-2/about-dr-mark-hyman/" target="_blank" title="Dr Mark Hyman">Dr Mark Hyman</a> that exposes four myths about health and lifestyle choices that I’ve written about in the past, but has consolidated them into one article.&#0160; Dr Hyman dispels the following common myths:</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 1: </em></strong><em>Diet Soda and Diet Drinks Don’t Make You Fat or Cause Type 2 Diabetes</em></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 2: </em></strong><em>Eating Fat Makes You Fat</em><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 3: </em></strong><em>Being Overweight Is Your Fault</em><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 4: </em></strong><em>Exercise Your Way to Weight Loss</em><em></em></p> <p>As I’ve often said, “Knowledge is Power, but Action flicks the Switch.&#0160; Dr Hyman has provided clarity to 4 of the most common myths about diet and exercise, and after reading this; it’s up to you to put this information into action.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sud Provence Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c" height="260" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c-800wi" title="Sud Provence Web" width="350" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>How Diet Soda Makes You Fat (and Other Food and Diet Industry Myths) </strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Mark Hyman, MD</p> <p>How do you lose weight? Substitute diet drinks for sugary drinks. Eat low-fat foods. Just eat less of the bad foods -- it&#39;s all about the calories. We are told, &quot;Just have more willpower.&quot; </p> <p>These ideas are false. They are food and diet industry propaganda that make and keep us fat and sick. Lies by the food industry combined with bad government policy based on food industry lobbying are the major cause of our obesity and diabetes epidemic. Now, more than 35 percent of Americans are obese, and almost 70 percent are overweight. This is not an accident but the result of careful marketing and money in politics.</p> <p>We are told it is all about making better choices. If we all took more personal responsibility, we could stop this obesity and diabetes epidemic. We have been told there are no good or bad foods, that the key to weight loss is moderation. And, of course, if we all just exercised more, all of us would lose weight. These myths hold us hostage. So, what doesn’t the Food and Diet industry want you to know?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dieting_confusion" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c-800wi" title="Dieting_confusion" /></a></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 1: Diet Soda and Diet Drinks Don’t Make You Fat and Cause Type 2 Diabetes</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>Diet soda DOES makes people fat? Really? How does that happen?<br /><br />If losing weight were all about the calories, then consuming diet drinks would seem like a good idea. That&#39;s certainly what Coca-Cola wants us to believe in their <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/02/believe-a-calorie-is-a-calorie-coke-says-it-isthink-again.html" target="_blank" title="Coke Ad">new ad</a> highlighting their efforts to fight obesity. They proudly promote the fact that they have 180 low- or no-calorie drinks and that they cut sugared drinks in schools by 90 percent. </p> <p>Is that a good thing? In fact, it may be worse than having us all drink regular Coke (and the other food giants making diet drinks also push the same propaganda). A new 14-year study of 66,118 women (supported by many other previous studies) found that the opposite seems to be true. Diet drinks may be worse than sugar-sweetened drinks, which are worse than fruit juices (but only fresh-squeezed fruit juices). </p> <p>The study, published in the <em><a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/01/30/ajcn.112.050997" target="_blank" title="AJOCN">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a></em>, discovered some frightening facts that should make us all swear off diet drinks and products.</p> <ol> <li>Diet sodas raised the risk of diabetes more than sugar-sweetened sodas!</li> <li>Women who drank one 12-ounce diet soda had a 33 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, and women who drank one 20-ounce soda had a 66 percent increased risk.</li> <li>Women who drank diet sodas drank twice as much as those who drank sugar-sweetened sodas because artificial sweeteners are more addictive and are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar.</li> <li>The average diet soda drinker consumes three diet drinks a day.</li> </ol> <p>You might say that people who are overweight and just about to get diabetes drink more diet soda, but they scientifically controlled for body weight. And they found the artificial sweeteners increased diabetes independent of body weight!&#0160; This and other research shows how diet sodas make people fat and sick.</p> <p>And that diet drinks may be even worse than regular sugar-sweetened sodas! How does that happen?</p> <ul> <li>Artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar, activating our genetically-programmed preference for sweet taste more than any other substance.</li> <li>They trick your metabolism into thinking sugar is on its way. This causes your body to pump out insulin, the fat storage hormone, which lays down more belly fat.</li> <li>It also confuses and slows your metabolism down, so you burn fewer calories every day.</li> <li>It makes you hungrier and crave even more sugar and starchy carbs like bread and pasta.</li> <li>In animal studies,<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=A+Role+for+Sweet+Taste%3A+Calorie+Predictive+Relations+in+Energy+Regulation" target="_blank" title="Rats"> the rats that consumed artificial sweeteners</a> ate more, their metabolism slowed, and they put on 14 percent more body fat in just two weeks -- even eating fewer calories.</li> <li>In population studies, there was a 200 percent increased risk of obesity in diet soda drinkers.</li> </ul> <p><br />I love Taylor Swift. I met her last summer. She is a wonderful person with great integrity. I don&#39;t think she knows about this research, and I hope someone shares it with her so she can save millions of children and fans from drinking Diet Coke because she endorses it.</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom line</em></strong><strong>:</strong> There is no free ride. Diet drinks are not good substitutes for sugar-sweetened drinks. They increase cravings, weight gain, and Type 2 diabetes. And they are addictive.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 2: Eating Fat Makes You Fat</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>The diet and food industry has brainwashed us to eat fat-free foods, which seems like common sense. Eating fats makes you fat. Right? But the science tells us otherwise -- not all calories are created equal. And even though fat has more calories per gram (9 calories vs. 4 calories of carbs and protein), eating fat can help you lose weight.</p> <p>This low-fat idea was based on bad science. Our government told us in the 1970s to go on a low-fat diet and to eat 8-11 servings of rice, bread, and pasta a day. And unfortunately, we listened. This was the beginning of our obesity and diabetes epidemic. The food industry happily created a flood of fat-free foods.</p> <p>But the science has proven that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12566139" target="_blank" title="Fat doesn&#39;t make you Fat">eating fat doesn&#39;t make you fat</a> -- sugar does. And it is sugar, not fat, that raises your cholesterol despite what people and most doctors still believe. A 20-ounce soda is fat-free, but that doesn&#39;t make it a health food. If cookies were fat-free, then you can eat the whole bag, right?</p> <p>But the fat is replaced with flour and sugar, and the result we now have is one in two adults with diabesity -- that&#39;s pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes -- and almost one in four teenagers with pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. We did a 10-day sugar-free detox with our online community, and 600 people lost more than 4,000 pounds in 10 days!</p> <p><strong>So why does eating fat free make you fat and diabetic?</strong></p> <p>In a recent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22735432" target="_blank" title="Harvard Study">Harvard study</a>, Dr. David Ludwig found that in two groups eating exactly the same calories, the group that had the low-fat diet (which means higher in sugars and starches) burned 300 calories less per day. Their metabolism was slower than the group eating the higher fat and higher protein diet.</p> <p>If you ate the higher-fat, higher-protein diet (of exactly the same calories), it is the equivalent of running for one hour a day. In other words, if you just swap out sugars and starches for good quality fats and protein, it will be like you added an hour of free exercise a day to your life without any change in calorie intake!</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong><strong>:</strong> The key point here is that all calories are not the same. Swap out sugar and starch for good fats such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, and grass-fed animal products or wild fish. Be a &quot;qualitarian.&quot; Focus on quality, on real food, and the rest takes care of itself.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 3: Being Overweight Is Your Fault</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>The food industry would have us believe that controlling our weight is about personal responsibility. Tell that to a 200-pound 5-year-old with diabetes and liver failure. Our taste buds have been hijacked by the food and diet industry. We are programmed to like sweet, salt, and fat tastes.</p> <p>And those slick combinations of sugar, fat and salt in junk and processed food have hijacked our taste buds, our brain chemistry, and our metabolism. These foods are biologically addictive. We are held hostage by the food industry and we blame ourselves. This is food terrorism!</p> <p>How does food addiction happen?</p> <p>New research shows that industrial food full of processed sugars, fats, salt, and chemicals are powerfully addictive. And sugar is the worst culprit. One animal study found that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. When rats were given the choice between mainline cocaine right into their veins or sweetened water (in fact, they used an artificial sweetener), they found that <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698" target="_blank" title="Sugar vs Cocaine">sugar was eight times more addictive than cocaine</a>. Even the rats already addicted to cocaine switched over to diet drinks!</p> <p>And what&#39;s even more interesting is that while cocaine and heroin activate only one spot for pleasure in the brain, sugar lights up the brain like a pinball machine. If these foods are addictive and drive overeating, then the whole idea of moderation just doesn&#39;t work. Hey, just have that one line of cocaine or that one hit of heroin.</p> <p>We can&#39;t stop eating, but we can stop eating junk and sugar! So we have to take back our taste buds, take back our brain chemistry, and take back our bodies from the food and diet industry. How do we do that? </p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong>: By <a href="http://www.bloodsugarsolution.com/" target="_blank" title="Real Food">eating real food</a> -- chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, and a little whole grains will reset your taste buds and your brain chemistry automatically.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 4: Exercise Your Way to Weight Loss</em></strong><em></em></p> <p>The food industry and diet industry push exercise. Even Michelle Obama&#39;s childhood obesity initiative focuses on exercise in its name, Let&#39;s Move. But it should be really called Let&#39;s Eat Real Food.&#0160; Here&#39;s why. Sugar-sweetened drinks make up about 15 percent of our calorie intake every day. But you have to walk 4.5 miles to burn off one 20-ounce soda, which contains 15 teaspoons of sugar.</p> <p>You have to run four miles a day for one week to burn off one supersize meal. If you have one supersize meal everyday you would have to run a marathon every day! You can&#39;t exercise your way out of bad diet -- except if you run a marathon every day. </p> <p>Drinking 32 ounces of Gatorade after a workout is a dumb idea, unless you run around like Kobe Bryant on the basketball court for 48 minutes. There are better ways to replenish your energy and electrolytes than colored sugar water with a few minerals sprinkled in. To paraphrase my friend Bill Clinton, &quot;It&#39;s the food, stupid!&quot;</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong>: Exercise is critical to long-term health and weight loss, but you can&#39;t exercise your way out of a bad diet.</p> Thankfully, science is shedding light on the ideas that keep us fat and sick. Unfortunately, scientists don&#39;t have billion-dollar marketing budgets. But we as a community of thinking people wanting real information can speak out, can spread the word and turn the tide of obesity and chronic disease together. <p>Is it any wonder why so many North Americans are frustrated with the barrage of mixed messages regarding their diets and the roll of exercise?&#0160; &#0160;It’s my attempt to provide some clarity to many of misconceptions that guide people to their lifestyle choices, and as a result I write about and often share other articles that I feel assist in making informed health decisions for yourself and your families.</p> <p>That being said, I came across an excellent article by <a href="http://drhyman.com/about-2/about-dr-mark-hyman/" target="_blank" title="Dr Mark Hyman">Dr Mark Hyman</a> that exposes four myths about health and lifestyle choices that I’ve written about in the past, but has consolidated them into one article.&#0160; Dr Hyman dispels the following common myths:</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 1: </em></strong><em>Diet Soda and Diet Drinks Don’t Make You Fat or Cause Type 2 Diabetes</em></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 2: </em></strong><em>Eating Fat Makes You Fat</em><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 3: </em></strong><em>Being Overweight Is Your Fault</em><strong></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 4: </em></strong><em>Exercise Your Way to Weight Loss</em><em></em></p> <p>As I’ve often said, “Knowledge is Power, but Action flicks the Switch.&#0160; Dr Hyman has provided clarity to 4 of the most common myths about diet and exercise, and after reading this; it’s up to you to put this information into action.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sud Provence Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c" height="260" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c2694f970c-800wi" title="Sud Provence Web" width="350" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>How Diet Soda Makes You Fat (and Other Food and Diet Industry Myths) </strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Mark Hyman, MD</p> <p>How do you lose weight? Substitute diet drinks for sugary drinks. Eat low-fat foods. Just eat less of the bad foods -- it&#39;s all about the calories. We are told, &quot;Just have more willpower.&quot; </p> <p>These ideas are false. They are food and diet industry propaganda that make and keep us fat and sick. Lies by the food industry combined with bad government policy based on food industry lobbying are the major cause of our obesity and diabetes epidemic. Now, more than 35 percent of Americans are obese, and almost 70 percent are overweight. This is not an accident but the result of careful marketing and money in politics.</p> <p>We are told it is all about making better choices. If we all took more personal responsibility, we could stop this obesity and diabetes epidemic. We have been told there are no good or bad foods, that the key to weight loss is moderation. And, of course, if we all just exercised more, all of us would lose weight. These myths hold us hostage. So, what doesn’t the Food and Diet industry want you to know?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dieting_confusion" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41c93afb970c-800wi" title="Dieting_confusion" /></a></p> <p><strong><em>Myth 1: Diet Soda and Diet Drinks Don’t Make You Fat and Cause Type 2 Diabetes</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>Diet soda DOES makes people fat? Really? How does that happen?<br /><br />If losing weight were all about the calories, then consuming diet drinks would seem like a good idea. That&#39;s certainly what Coca-Cola wants us to believe in their <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/02/believe-a-calorie-is-a-calorie-coke-says-it-isthink-again.html" target="_blank" title="Coke Ad">new ad</a> highlighting their efforts to fight obesity. They proudly promote the fact that they have 180 low- or no-calorie drinks and that they cut sugared drinks in schools by 90 percent. </p> <p>Is that a good thing? In fact, it may be worse than having us all drink regular Coke (and the other food giants making diet drinks also push the same propaganda). A new 14-year study of 66,118 women (supported by many other previous studies) found that the opposite seems to be true. Diet drinks may be worse than sugar-sweetened drinks, which are worse than fruit juices (but only fresh-squeezed fruit juices). </p> <p>The study, published in the <em><a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/01/30/ajcn.112.050997" target="_blank" title="AJOCN">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a></em>, discovered some frightening facts that should make us all swear off diet drinks and products.</p> <ol> <li>Diet sodas raised the risk of diabetes more than sugar-sweetened sodas!</li> <li>Women who drank one 12-ounce diet soda had a 33 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, and women who drank one 20-ounce soda had a 66 percent increased risk.</li> <li>Women who drank diet sodas drank twice as much as those who drank sugar-sweetened sodas because artificial sweeteners are more addictive and are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar.</li> <li>The average diet soda drinker consumes three diet drinks a day.</li> </ol> <p>You might say that people who are overweight and just about to get diabetes drink more diet soda, but they scientifically controlled for body weight. And they found the artificial sweeteners increased diabetes independent of body weight!&#0160; This and other research shows how diet sodas make people fat and sick.</p> <p>And that diet drinks may be even worse than regular sugar-sweetened sodas! How does that happen?</p> <ul> <li>Artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than regular sugar, activating our genetically-programmed preference for sweet taste more than any other substance.</li> <li>They trick your metabolism into thinking sugar is on its way. This causes your body to pump out insulin, the fat storage hormone, which lays down more belly fat.</li> <li>It also confuses and slows your metabolism down, so you burn fewer calories every day.</li> <li>It makes you hungrier and crave even more sugar and starchy carbs like bread and pasta.</li> <li>In animal studies,<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=A+Role+for+Sweet+Taste%3A+Calorie+Predictive+Relations+in+Energy+Regulation" target="_blank" title="Rats"> the rats that consumed artificial sweeteners</a> ate more, their metabolism slowed, and they put on 14 percent more body fat in just two weeks -- even eating fewer calories.</li> <li>In population studies, there was a 200 percent increased risk of obesity in diet soda drinkers.</li> </ul> <p><br />I love Taylor Swift. I met her last summer. She is a wonderful person with great integrity. I don&#39;t think she knows about this research, and I hope someone shares it with her so she can save millions of children and fans from drinking Diet Coke because she endorses it.</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom line</em></strong><strong>:</strong> There is no free ride. Diet drinks are not good substitutes for sugar-sweetened drinks. They increase cravings, weight gain, and Type 2 diabetes. And they are addictive.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 2: Eating Fat Makes You Fat</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>The diet and food industry has brainwashed us to eat fat-free foods, which seems like common sense. Eating fats makes you fat. Right? But the science tells us otherwise -- not all calories are created equal. And even though fat has more calories per gram (9 calories vs. 4 calories of carbs and protein), eating fat can help you lose weight.</p> <p>This low-fat idea was based on bad science. Our government told us in the 1970s to go on a low-fat diet and to eat 8-11 servings of rice, bread, and pasta a day. And unfortunately, we listened. This was the beginning of our obesity and diabetes epidemic. The food industry happily created a flood of fat-free foods.</p> <p>But the science has proven that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12566139" target="_blank" title="Fat doesn&#39;t make you Fat">eating fat doesn&#39;t make you fat</a> -- sugar does. And it is sugar, not fat, that raises your cholesterol despite what people and most doctors still believe. A 20-ounce soda is fat-free, but that doesn&#39;t make it a health food. If cookies were fat-free, then you can eat the whole bag, right?</p> <p>But the fat is replaced with flour and sugar, and the result we now have is one in two adults with diabesity -- that&#39;s pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes -- and almost one in four teenagers with pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. We did a 10-day sugar-free detox with our online community, and 600 people lost more than 4,000 pounds in 10 days!</p> <p><strong>So why does eating fat free make you fat and diabetic?</strong></p> <p>In a recent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22735432" target="_blank" title="Harvard Study">Harvard study</a>, Dr. David Ludwig found that in two groups eating exactly the same calories, the group that had the low-fat diet (which means higher in sugars and starches) burned 300 calories less per day. Their metabolism was slower than the group eating the higher fat and higher protein diet.</p> <p>If you ate the higher-fat, higher-protein diet (of exactly the same calories), it is the equivalent of running for one hour a day. In other words, if you just swap out sugars and starches for good quality fats and protein, it will be like you added an hour of free exercise a day to your life without any change in calorie intake!</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong><strong>:</strong> The key point here is that all calories are not the same. Swap out sugar and starch for good fats such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, and grass-fed animal products or wild fish. Be a &quot;qualitarian.&quot; Focus on quality, on real food, and the rest takes care of itself.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 3: Being Overweight Is Your Fault</em></strong><strong></strong></p> <p>The food industry would have us believe that controlling our weight is about personal responsibility. Tell that to a 200-pound 5-year-old with diabetes and liver failure. Our taste buds have been hijacked by the food and diet industry. We are programmed to like sweet, salt, and fat tastes.</p> <p>And those slick combinations of sugar, fat and salt in junk and processed food have hijacked our taste buds, our brain chemistry, and our metabolism. These foods are biologically addictive. We are held hostage by the food industry and we blame ourselves. This is food terrorism!</p> <p>How does food addiction happen?</p> <p>New research shows that industrial food full of processed sugars, fats, salt, and chemicals are powerfully addictive. And sugar is the worst culprit. One animal study found that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. When rats were given the choice between mainline cocaine right into their veins or sweetened water (in fact, they used an artificial sweetener), they found that <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698" target="_blank" title="Sugar vs Cocaine">sugar was eight times more addictive than cocaine</a>. Even the rats already addicted to cocaine switched over to diet drinks!</p> <p>And what&#39;s even more interesting is that while cocaine and heroin activate only one spot for pleasure in the brain, sugar lights up the brain like a pinball machine. If these foods are addictive and drive overeating, then the whole idea of moderation just doesn&#39;t work. Hey, just have that one line of cocaine or that one hit of heroin.</p> <p>We can&#39;t stop eating, but we can stop eating junk and sugar! So we have to take back our taste buds, take back our brain chemistry, and take back our bodies from the food and diet industry. How do we do that? </p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong>: By <a href="http://www.bloodsugarsolution.com/" target="_blank" title="Real Food">eating real food</a> -- chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, and a little whole grains will reset your taste buds and your brain chemistry automatically.</p> <p><strong><em>Myth 4: Exercise Your Way to Weight Loss</em></strong><em></em></p> <p>The food industry and diet industry push exercise. Even Michelle Obama&#39;s childhood obesity initiative focuses on exercise in its name, Let&#39;s Move. But it should be really called Let&#39;s Eat Real Food.&#0160; Here&#39;s why. Sugar-sweetened drinks make up about 15 percent of our calorie intake every day. But you have to walk 4.5 miles to burn off one 20-ounce soda, which contains 15 teaspoons of sugar.</p> <p>You have to run four miles a day for one week to burn off one supersize meal. If you have one supersize meal everyday you would have to run a marathon every day! You can&#39;t exercise your way out of bad diet -- except if you run a marathon every day. </p> <p>Drinking 32 ounces of Gatorade after a workout is a dumb idea, unless you run around like Kobe Bryant on the basketball court for 48 minutes. There are better ways to replenish your energy and electrolytes than colored sugar water with a few minerals sprinkled in. To paraphrase my friend Bill Clinton, &quot;It&#39;s the food, stupid!&quot;</p> <p><strong><em>Bottom Line</em></strong>: Exercise is critical to long-term health and weight loss, but you can&#39;t exercise your way out of a bad diet.</p> Thankfully, science is shedding light on the ideas that keep us fat and sick. Unfortunately, scientists don&#39;t have billion-dollar marketing budgets. But we as a community of thinking people wanting real information can speak out, can spread the word and turn the tide of obesity and chronic disease together.tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee8d032d5970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-02-28T22:48:15Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c372d0552970bBelieve ‘A Calorie is a Calorie’? Coke says it is....Think Again!http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-02-28T22:48:14Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I read the following article today by Dr Robert Lustig, <em>Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, and President of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition.</em>&#0160; </p> <p>I’ve shared <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/04/sugar-a-bittersweet-story.html" target="_blank" title="Bitter Sweet Truth">Dr Lustig’s research and information </a>in the past and given Coca Cola’ latest slick new 2 minute ad – <em><strong>Coming Together</strong></em> on YouTube suggesting to their consumers that a <strong>Calorie is a Calorie</strong>, thereby implying that it’s the fault of the general public for the obesity epidemic because they offer reduced and low calorie options (claiming no culpability on their part) is reprehensible, but predictable.</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zybnaPqzJ6s?feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>Dr Lustig’s research below is certainly timely given this slick piece of marketing and something every person that cares about their health and the health of their families should know and understand.&#0160; </p> <p>Let&#39;s be clear, companies like Coca Cola, PepsiCo, and others that market processed foods are no friends of yours, mine or our families when it comes to selling products that are harmful to our health and the health of our families. They care only about revenues at the expense of a healthcare system that are struggling&#0160;and on life support, while giving little consideration for their customers that are addicted to their unhealthy products.</p> <p>Think about your health the next time you reach for the “Real Thing”, because you&#39;re not only paying for their products, you&#39;re also paying for a dying healthcare system.</p> <p>I’ve copied the full article written by Dr Lustig for your convenience below.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 12 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c" height="326" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c-800wi" title="Provence 12 - web" width="214" /></a></p> <p><strong></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Still Believe ‘A Calorie is a Calorie’?</strong></span></p> <p><em>By Dr Robert Lustig</em><em></em></p> <p>If you do, you fly in the face of mounting and incontrovertible evidence that some calories -- in particular, &quot;sugar calories&quot; -- are jeopardizing both your and your family&#39;s health. Physicians and politicians who cling to the dogma that &quot;all calories should be treated equally&quot; imperil our country&#39;s health care system, food supply and standing in the world for the next hundred years. </p> <p>A calorie is a measurement of energy (a matter of physics), not a value judgment on where that energy goes (a matter of biochemistry). As my book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Chance-Beating-Against-Processed/dp/159463100X" target="_blank" title="Fat Chance">Fat Chance</a></em> explains, you get sick from inappropriate energy storage (in your liver and muscle), not defective energy balance (bigger love handles). Nonetheless, &quot;a calorie is a calorie&quot; continues to be promulgated by the food industry as their defense against their culpability for the current epidemic of obesity and chronic metabolic disease. But it is as dishonest as a three-dollar bill. Here are just four examples that refute this dogma: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Fiber.</strong> You eat 160 calories in almonds, but you absorb only 130. The fiber in the almonds delays absorption of calories into the bloodstream, delivering those calories to the bacteria in your intestine, which chew them up. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Protein.</strong> When it comes to food, you have to put energy in to get energy out. You have to put <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228266" target="_blank" title="Link">twice as much energy</a> in to metabolize protein as you do carbohydrate; this is called the thermic effect of food. So protein wastes more energy in its processing. Plus protein <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060905225848.htm" target="_blank" title="Reduces Hunger">reduces hunger</a> better than carbohydrate. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Fat.</strong> All fats release nine calories per gram when burned. But omega-3 fats are heart-healthy and will save your life, while <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22583051" target="_blank" title="Trans Fat">trans fats</a> clog your arteries, leading to a heart attack. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Sugar.</strong> This is the &quot;big kahuna&quot; of the &quot;big lie.&quot; Sugar is not one chemical. It&#39;s two. Glucose is the energy of life. Every cell in every organism on the planet can burn glucose for energy. Glucose is mildly sweet, but not very interesting (think molasses). Fructose is an entirely different animal. Fructose is very sweet, the molecule we seek. Both burn at four calories per gram. If fructose were just like glucose, then sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) would be just like starch. But fructose <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20800122" target="_blank" title="Glucose">is not glucose</a>. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> </ol> <p>Up until now, scientists have shown that sugar is &quot;associated&quot; or &quot;correlated&quot; with various chronic metabolic diseases. For instance, the increase in sugar consumption over the past 30 years paralleled the increase in obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Areas that drink more soda (e.g., the American Southeast) experience higher prevalences of these diseases. But correlation is not causation. </p> <p>Which direction do the data go? Does sugar cause obesity and metabolic disease? Or do obese people with metabolic disease drink soda? You can&#39;t tell, because you only have one point in time -- the snapshot, not the movie. In the February 27 issue of the journal <em>PLoS One</em>, my colleagues Dr. Sanjay Basu, Paula Yoffe, Nancy Hills and I put this issue to rest, because we now have the movie.[1]</p> <p>We asked the question, &quot;What in the world&#39;s food supply explains diabetes rates, country-by-country, over the last decade?&quot; We melded databases from the Food and Agriculture Organization (<a href="http://faostat.fao.org/?lang=en" target="_blank" title="FAOSTAT">FAOSTAT</a>), which measures food availability, the International Diabetes Federation (<a href="http://www.idf.org/" target="_blank" title="IDF">IDF</a>), which measures diabetes prevalence, the World Bank <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators" target="_blank" title="WDI">World Development Economic Indicators</a>, and the World Health Organization <a href="https://apps.who.int/infobase/" target="_blank" title="Info Base">Global Infobase</a>. We assessed total calories; meat (protein); oils (fat); cereals (glucose); pulses, nuts, vegetables, roots, and tubers (fiber); fruit excluding wine (natural sugar); and sugar, sugarcrops, and sweeteners (added sugar). We controlled for poverty, urbanization, aging, and most important, obesity and physical activity. </p> <p><em>Bottom line -- only changes in sugar availability explained changes in diabetes prevalence worldwide; nothing else mattered. </em></p> <p>Total caloric availability was unrelated to diabetes prevalence; for every extra 150 calories per day, diabetes prevalence rose by only 0.1 percent. But if those 150 calories per day happened to be a can of soda, diabetes prevalence rose 11-fold, by 1.1 percent (and Americans on average consume the added sugar equivalent of <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/120/11/1011.full.pdf" target="_blank" title="soda">2.5 cans of soda</a> per day, so that&#39;s 2.75 percent!). And this effect of sugar was exclusive of obesity; controlling for body mass index did not negate the effect. Even more important, we showed that the change in sugar availability preceded the change in diabetes (that&#39;s cause, not effect); and we showed directionality -- those countries where sugar availability rose showed increases in diabetes, while those where sugar availability fell showed decreases in diabetes. This is a very robust signal, with little noise. While epidemiology can&#39;t prove scientific causation, the data allow for objective inference. Sugar drives diabetes worldwide, and unrelated to its calories.</p> <p>When you do the math, fully one-quarter of the world&#39;s diabetes is explained by sugar alone.</p> <p>The food industry has contaminated the American food supply with added sugar to &quot;sell more product&quot; and thereby uphold their Wall Street mandate to increase profits. Of the 600,000 food items in the American grocery store, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23102182" target="_blank" title="80 %">80 percent</a> have been spiked with added sugar; and the industry uses 56 other names for sugar on the label. They know when they add sugar, you buy more. And because you do not know you&#39;re buying it, you buy even more.</p> <p>The outcome: By the year 2050, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20969750" target="_blank" title="NCBI">one-third</a> of all Americans will have diabetes. Trustees of the Medicare program predict that Medicare will be broke by 2024. No health care for you. Yet just six weeks ago, Coca-Cola had the temerity to introduce its two-minute ad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zybnaPqzJ6s" target="_blank" title="Coca Cola Ad">&quot;Coming Together,&quot;</a> in which they say: &quot;All calories count&quot; because a calorie is a calorie; if you&#39;re fat, it&#39;s your fault (they claim no culpability); and because they make non-caloric drinks, they&#39;re part of the solution. The problem is that a calorie is not a calorie; if non-caloric drinks are the solution, then by inference they&#39;re saying that caloric drinks are the problem. </p> <p>Sugar in excess is a toxin, unrelated to its calories. The dose determines the poison. Like alcohol, a little sugar is fine, but a lot is not. And the food industry has put us way over our limit.</p> <p>The food industry will summon their spin doctors. They will yet again argue that the statistics are wrong, the interpretation is too broad -- but they will not be able to effectively refute the science. They haven&#39;t yet, and they won&#39;t succeed now. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it&#39;s shining brightly on the food industry&#39;s practices. They will continue the propaganda, and try to sow the seeds of doubt. But they will be on the losing end of this battle. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21478314" target="_blank" title="UK">UK</a> and <a href="http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf%20" target="_blank" title="Australia">Australia</a> have just this past week laid down stricter guidelines for sugar consumption. The people and scientists of the United States are onto them as well. It&#39;s just a matter of time before the politicians follow. </p> <p><em>Robert H. Lustig, M.D., is Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, and President of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition (<a href="http://responsiblefoods.org/" target="_blank" title="Responsible Foods">responsiblefoods.org</a>), at which the Doctors&#39; Food Project is the first campaign. He is currently getting his Masters in Studies of Law at UC Hastings College of the Law. His YouTube lecture, &quot;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM" target="_blank" title="Sugar: the Bitter Truth">Sugar: The Bitter Truth</a>&quot; has been viewed over 3 million times. His book, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Chance-Beating-Against-Processed/dp/159463100X" target="_blank" title="Fat Chance">Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease</a><em> (Hudson Street Press, 2012), is in bookstores now.</em></p> <p>I read the following article today by Dr Robert Lustig, <em>Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, and President of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition.</em>&#0160; </p> <p>I’ve shared <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/04/sugar-a-bittersweet-story.html" target="_blank" title="Bitter Sweet Truth">Dr Lustig’s research and information </a>in the past and given Coca Cola’ latest slick new 2 minute ad – <em><strong>Coming Together</strong></em> on YouTube suggesting to their consumers that a <strong>Calorie is a Calorie</strong>, thereby implying that it’s the fault of the general public for the obesity epidemic because they offer reduced and low calorie options (claiming no culpability on their part) is reprehensible, but predictable.</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zybnaPqzJ6s?feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>Dr Lustig’s research below is certainly timely given this slick piece of marketing and something every person that cares about their health and the health of their families should know and understand.&#0160; </p> <p>Let&#39;s be clear, companies like Coca Cola, PepsiCo, and others that market processed foods are no friends of yours, mine or our families when it comes to selling products that are harmful to our health and the health of our families. They care only about revenues at the expense of a healthcare system that are struggling&#0160;and on life support, while giving little consideration for their customers that are addicted to their unhealthy products.</p> <p>Think about your health the next time you reach for the “Real Thing”, because you&#39;re not only paying for their products, you&#39;re also paying for a dying healthcare system.</p> <p>I’ve copied the full article written by Dr Lustig for your convenience below.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 12 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c" height="326" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d415c2462970c-800wi" title="Provence 12 - web" width="214" /></a></p> <p><strong></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Still Believe ‘A Calorie is a Calorie’?</strong></span></p> <p><em>By Dr Robert Lustig</em><em></em></p> <p>If you do, you fly in the face of mounting and incontrovertible evidence that some calories -- in particular, &quot;sugar calories&quot; -- are jeopardizing both your and your family&#39;s health. Physicians and politicians who cling to the dogma that &quot;all calories should be treated equally&quot; imperil our country&#39;s health care system, food supply and standing in the world for the next hundred years. </p> <p>A calorie is a measurement of energy (a matter of physics), not a value judgment on where that energy goes (a matter of biochemistry). As my book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Chance-Beating-Against-Processed/dp/159463100X" target="_blank" title="Fat Chance">Fat Chance</a></em> explains, you get sick from inappropriate energy storage (in your liver and muscle), not defective energy balance (bigger love handles). Nonetheless, &quot;a calorie is a calorie&quot; continues to be promulgated by the food industry as their defense against their culpability for the current epidemic of obesity and chronic metabolic disease. But it is as dishonest as a three-dollar bill. Here are just four examples that refute this dogma: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Fiber.</strong> You eat 160 calories in almonds, but you absorb only 130. The fiber in the almonds delays absorption of calories into the bloodstream, delivering those calories to the bacteria in your intestine, which chew them up. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Protein.</strong> When it comes to food, you have to put energy in to get energy out. You have to put <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228266" target="_blank" title="Link">twice as much energy</a> in to metabolize protein as you do carbohydrate; this is called the thermic effect of food. So protein wastes more energy in its processing. Plus protein <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060905225848.htm" target="_blank" title="Reduces Hunger">reduces hunger</a> better than carbohydrate. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Fat.</strong> All fats release nine calories per gram when burned. But omega-3 fats are heart-healthy and will save your life, while <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22583051" target="_blank" title="Trans Fat">trans fats</a> clog your arteries, leading to a heart attack. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> <li><strong>Sugar.</strong> This is the &quot;big kahuna&quot; of the &quot;big lie.&quot; Sugar is not one chemical. It&#39;s two. Glucose is the energy of life. Every cell in every organism on the planet can burn glucose for energy. Glucose is mildly sweet, but not very interesting (think molasses). Fructose is an entirely different animal. Fructose is very sweet, the molecule we seek. Both burn at four calories per gram. If fructose were just like glucose, then sugar or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) would be just like starch. But fructose <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20800122" target="_blank" title="Glucose">is not glucose</a>. Because a calorie is not a calorie.</li> </ol> <p>Up until now, scientists have shown that sugar is &quot;associated&quot; or &quot;correlated&quot; with various chronic metabolic diseases. For instance, the increase in sugar consumption over the past 30 years paralleled the increase in obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Areas that drink more soda (e.g., the American Southeast) experience higher prevalences of these diseases. But correlation is not causation. </p> <p>Which direction do the data go? Does sugar cause obesity and metabolic disease? Or do obese people with metabolic disease drink soda? You can&#39;t tell, because you only have one point in time -- the snapshot, not the movie. In the February 27 issue of the journal <em>PLoS One</em>, my colleagues Dr. Sanjay Basu, Paula Yoffe, Nancy Hills and I put this issue to rest, because we now have the movie.[1]</p> <p>We asked the question, &quot;What in the world&#39;s food supply explains diabetes rates, country-by-country, over the last decade?&quot; We melded databases from the Food and Agriculture Organization (<a href="http://faostat.fao.org/?lang=en" target="_blank" title="FAOSTAT">FAOSTAT</a>), which measures food availability, the International Diabetes Federation (<a href="http://www.idf.org/" target="_blank" title="IDF">IDF</a>), which measures diabetes prevalence, the World Bank <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators" target="_blank" title="WDI">World Development Economic Indicators</a>, and the World Health Organization <a href="https://apps.who.int/infobase/" target="_blank" title="Info Base">Global Infobase</a>. We assessed total calories; meat (protein); oils (fat); cereals (glucose); pulses, nuts, vegetables, roots, and tubers (fiber); fruit excluding wine (natural sugar); and sugar, sugarcrops, and sweeteners (added sugar). We controlled for poverty, urbanization, aging, and most important, obesity and physical activity. </p> <p><em>Bottom line -- only changes in sugar availability explained changes in diabetes prevalence worldwide; nothing else mattered. </em></p> <p>Total caloric availability was unrelated to diabetes prevalence; for every extra 150 calories per day, diabetes prevalence rose by only 0.1 percent. But if those 150 calories per day happened to be a can of soda, diabetes prevalence rose 11-fold, by 1.1 percent (and Americans on average consume the added sugar equivalent of <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/120/11/1011.full.pdf" target="_blank" title="soda">2.5 cans of soda</a> per day, so that&#39;s 2.75 percent!). And this effect of sugar was exclusive of obesity; controlling for body mass index did not negate the effect. Even more important, we showed that the change in sugar availability preceded the change in diabetes (that&#39;s cause, not effect); and we showed directionality -- those countries where sugar availability rose showed increases in diabetes, while those where sugar availability fell showed decreases in diabetes. This is a very robust signal, with little noise. While epidemiology can&#39;t prove scientific causation, the data allow for objective inference. Sugar drives diabetes worldwide, and unrelated to its calories.</p> <p>When you do the math, fully one-quarter of the world&#39;s diabetes is explained by sugar alone.</p> <p>The food industry has contaminated the American food supply with added sugar to &quot;sell more product&quot; and thereby uphold their Wall Street mandate to increase profits. Of the 600,000 food items in the American grocery store, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23102182" target="_blank" title="80 %">80 percent</a> have been spiked with added sugar; and the industry uses 56 other names for sugar on the label. They know when they add sugar, you buy more. And because you do not know you&#39;re buying it, you buy even more.</p> <p>The outcome: By the year 2050, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20969750" target="_blank" title="NCBI">one-third</a> of all Americans will have diabetes. Trustees of the Medicare program predict that Medicare will be broke by 2024. No health care for you. Yet just six weeks ago, Coca-Cola had the temerity to introduce its two-minute ad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zybnaPqzJ6s" target="_blank" title="Coca Cola Ad">&quot;Coming Together,&quot;</a> in which they say: &quot;All calories count&quot; because a calorie is a calorie; if you&#39;re fat, it&#39;s your fault (they claim no culpability); and because they make non-caloric drinks, they&#39;re part of the solution. The problem is that a calorie is not a calorie; if non-caloric drinks are the solution, then by inference they&#39;re saying that caloric drinks are the problem. </p> <p>Sugar in excess is a toxin, unrelated to its calories. The dose determines the poison. Like alcohol, a little sugar is fine, but a lot is not. And the food industry has put us way over our limit.</p> <p>The food industry will summon their spin doctors. They will yet again argue that the statistics are wrong, the interpretation is too broad -- but they will not be able to effectively refute the science. They haven&#39;t yet, and they won&#39;t succeed now. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it&#39;s shining brightly on the food industry&#39;s practices. They will continue the propaganda, and try to sow the seeds of doubt. But they will be on the losing end of this battle. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21478314" target="_blank" title="UK">UK</a> and <a href="http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf%20" target="_blank" title="Australia">Australia</a> have just this past week laid down stricter guidelines for sugar consumption. The people and scientists of the United States are onto them as well. It&#39;s just a matter of time before the politicians follow. </p> <p><em>Robert H. Lustig, M.D., is Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, and President of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition (<a href="http://responsiblefoods.org/" target="_blank" title="Responsible Foods">responsiblefoods.org</a>), at which the Doctors&#39; Food Project is the first campaign. He is currently getting his Masters in Studies of Law at UC Hastings College of the Law. His YouTube lecture, &quot;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM" target="_blank" title="Sugar: the Bitter Truth">Sugar: The Bitter Truth</a>&quot; has been viewed over 3 million times. His book, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Chance-Beating-Against-Processed/dp/159463100X" target="_blank" title="Fat Chance">Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease</a><em> (Hudson Street Press, 2012), is in bookstores now.</em></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee87875eb970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-02-13T07:27:04Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c36d52ad6970bYou think you’re a healthy weight, think again?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-02-13T07:27:04Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Ask someone about their weight and you&#39;ll get varying degrees of resistance and truth to the question.&#0160; I <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2098288/Why-women-tell-lies-weight--actually-NINE-POUNDS-say.html#axzz2KiCsAwpL" target="_blank" title="Weight Lie">read a statistic</a> the other day that over 66% of women lie about their weight.&#0160; I suspect for the same reasons, men also lie about their size and weight, but that’s a topic for another post. Today, I want to talk about the importance of understanding your bodyfat as a percentage of overall weight.&#0160; We often use BMI or weight/height charts as an indicator of healthy weight, and I guess it’s not a bad guideline, but only to a certain point.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Weight-scale" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d-800wi" title="Weight-scale" /></a></p> <p>A much better way to measure your weight and general fitness is to have a good&#0160;understanding of your bodyfat content, not just your body weight. &#0160;By monitoring your % bodyfat in combination with your weight regularly, there are many things you can learn about your fitness and general health as time passes by.</p> <p><strong>The Basics of % Bodyfat and Body Composition</strong></p> <p>Your body is made up of many components; the major ones are muscle, bone, organs and fat.&#0160; And fat seems to be the one everyone is concerned about when we think of appearance, health, fitness and longevity.</p> <p>Unfortunately, you can’t simply look in the mirror, stand on a scale and look up a BMI chart to tell if you are over-fat or under-fat.&#0160; Height/Weight charts are only averages and about 50% of us conform to the averages on these charts.&#0160; The charts have no way of determining what your muscle development is, or isn’t, and most people don’t know if they fit into the small, medium or large frame types.&#0160; No, the only way to determine your % bodyfat is to measure it.&#0160; </p> <p>Being able to measure and monitor your % bodyfat will provide you with important information about the changes in your muscle tissue over time. &#0160;By knowing your % bodyfat, you can determine your % muscle, bone and organ mass.&#0160; For example, let’s assume a man weighting 160lbs has 20% bodyfat, then 32lbs is bodyfat and everything else is “lean mass” or 128lbs.&#0160; Of the lean mass, the component that you have most control and can change is muscle tissue.&#0160; By monitoring your bodyfat, you will have better insight into the changes of your muscle tissue.&#0160; And your muscle tissue will increase or decrease depending on your diet, activity, exercise and general lifestyle.</p> <p>Unfortunately, North Americans as a population don’t get enough exercise or eat a healthy diet, which results in gradually losing their muscle tissue as they age.&#0160; So a person may actually weigh the same in their 50’s as they did in college and have significantly less muscle and more fat on their body.</p> <p>A&#0160;study by Brozek and Keys determined that the average male at 20 years of age has 10.3 % bodyfat and by the time he reaches 55 years, his % bodyfat increased to 25%.&#0160; This implies that a man weighing 160lbs at 20 will only have 16lbs of bodyfat and the same man at 55 will have 40lbs of fat.&#0160; That’s a loss of 24lbs of muscle, bone and organ tissue and a gain of 24lbs of added fat.&#0160; To be of healthy % bodyfat at the age 55, this individual should only weight 148lbs and carry 19% bodyfat.&#0160; It would have been better that he exercised throughout his life and maintained his muscle, bone and organ mass.&#0160; This example is for a man, but the same concept holds true for women.</p> <p>This kind of change doesn’t happen to everyone. &#0160;People that have active lifestyles, exercise daily and eat a healthy diet do not lose muscle tissue or gain bodyfat throughout their lives.&#0160; In fact, people over 50 years of age can gain back muscle and lose bodyfat through a proper diet and exercise program.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Growing Old" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c-800wi" title="Growing Old" /></a></p> <p><strong>The Application of Bodyfat Information</strong></p> <p>It’s important to note that body composition changes start as early as 18 and by 25 most North Americans have already lost lean mass and gained body fat.&#0160; And that’s the ones that have maintained their correct weight.&#0160; It’s even worse for those that have gained weight.&#0160; If people monitor their % bodyfat early and often, they will see the changes and be able to make the correct changes before the weight challenge become serious and a lifelong struggle.</p> <p>Another important reason to know your % bodyfat is to monitor the affect of a new diet or exercise program on muscle tissue and fat development.&#0160; Research has shown that a people that go on one of the many fad diets will generally lose muscle tissue and not fat, but in the absence of actually taking regular bodyfat measurements the dieter will never know the harmful effects if all they rely on is their weight scale.</p> <p>The most effective way to reduce the proper weight is through exercise and eating a well balanced diet, while monitoring your % bodyfat to ensure the weight loss is fat and not muscle tissue.&#0160; As I train and prepare for the <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/race" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route</a> bike race this August from Geneva to Nice, I’m following this process myself, as I have to reduce my total body weight while maintaining my muscle mass to ensure I have the optimal power to weight ratio to power my lighter body over the 68,000 feet (21,000 meters) of climbing during the 7 days of racing.</p> <p>Yet another important use of bodyfat measuring regards people that are the proper weight, or even a little underweight according to BMI and other weight/height charts and may even look healthy, when in fact they’re actually “under muscled” and “over fat”.&#0160; The fact that their small muscles weigh so little they are often given the false impression that they are a healthy weight, when in fact they are over fat and require an exercise program to gain muscle tissue while losing the unhealthy fat.</p> <p>Like the example above, the opposite is true for a person that’s particularly muscular with low bodyfat.&#0160; According to the BMI and other weight/height charts this person is considered overweight, when in fact they’re actually quite lean and if they went on a diet, they would only lose muscle tissue.&#0160; So, only by measuring their bodyfat will they know they’re of a healthy weight.</p> <p>Finally, when a person decides to take action and commits to a well planned exercise program, combined with a nutritious and well balanced diet, they may actually see a weight gain for the first few months as they gain heavier lean muscle tissue while losing the lighter bodyfat.&#0160; Seeing their weight increase may be discouraging to the individual causing them to give up on their new healthy lifestyle.&#0160; By measuring both weight and % bodyfat, they will see the improvements and continue with the program with a sense of encouragement.</p> <p><strong>How do I measure % Bodyfat</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Slimguide" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d-800wi" title="Slimguide" /></a><br /></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">There are a two common methods and devices to measure % bodyfat at home. These are the Skinfold Calipers and Bio-impedance devices.&#0160; I have both and of the two, the skinfold caliper is the more accurate method.&#0160; The down side of skinfold calipers, is they generally require a second person to take the measurements.&#0160; &#0160;That said, I have become a master of measuring myself after only a few tries and the readings are very accurate.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">So if you really want to understand your true healthy weight, don’t just rely on your weigh scale and the BMI chart as your guide, as this method may provide you with incorrect information.&#0160; Purchase online a set of enexpensive&#0160;<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=pd_sl_7ikl2ax6it_b?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=body+fat+calipers&amp;tag=googcana-20&amp;index=aps&amp;hvadid=7288237302&amp;hvpos=1t1&amp;hvexid=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=9472799721743010157&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=b" target="_blank" title="Skinfold Calipers">Skinfold Calipers</a> and take the time to make weekly, or at a minimum monthly bodyfat measurements to ensure you maintain a healthy body composition throughout your life.&#0160; </p> <p>And most importantly, taking corrective action once you know your body’s composition is the key to a healthy future.&#0160; &#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d" height="329" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d-800wi" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" width="171" /></a></p> <p>Ask someone about their weight and you&#39;ll get varying degrees of resistance and truth to the question.&#0160; I <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2098288/Why-women-tell-lies-weight--actually-NINE-POUNDS-say.html#axzz2KiCsAwpL" target="_blank" title="Weight Lie">read a statistic</a> the other day that over 66% of women lie about their weight.&#0160; I suspect for the same reasons, men also lie about their size and weight, but that’s a topic for another post. Today, I want to talk about the importance of understanding your bodyfat as a percentage of overall weight.&#0160; We often use BMI or weight/height charts as an indicator of healthy weight, and I guess it’s not a bad guideline, but only to a certain point.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Weight-scale" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87837b6970d-800wi" title="Weight-scale" /></a></p> <p>A much better way to measure your weight and general fitness is to have a good&#0160;understanding of your bodyfat content, not just your body weight. &#0160;By monitoring your % bodyfat in combination with your weight regularly, there are many things you can learn about your fitness and general health as time passes by.</p> <p><strong>The Basics of % Bodyfat and Body Composition</strong></p> <p>Your body is made up of many components; the major ones are muscle, bone, organs and fat.&#0160; And fat seems to be the one everyone is concerned about when we think of appearance, health, fitness and longevity.</p> <p>Unfortunately, you can’t simply look in the mirror, stand on a scale and look up a BMI chart to tell if you are over-fat or under-fat.&#0160; Height/Weight charts are only averages and about 50% of us conform to the averages on these charts.&#0160; The charts have no way of determining what your muscle development is, or isn’t, and most people don’t know if they fit into the small, medium or large frame types.&#0160; No, the only way to determine your % bodyfat is to measure it.&#0160; </p> <p>Being able to measure and monitor your % bodyfat will provide you with important information about the changes in your muscle tissue over time. &#0160;By knowing your % bodyfat, you can determine your % muscle, bone and organ mass.&#0160; For example, let’s assume a man weighting 160lbs has 20% bodyfat, then 32lbs is bodyfat and everything else is “lean mass” or 128lbs.&#0160; Of the lean mass, the component that you have most control and can change is muscle tissue.&#0160; By monitoring your bodyfat, you will have better insight into the changes of your muscle tissue.&#0160; And your muscle tissue will increase or decrease depending on your diet, activity, exercise and general lifestyle.</p> <p>Unfortunately, North Americans as a population don’t get enough exercise or eat a healthy diet, which results in gradually losing their muscle tissue as they age.&#0160; So a person may actually weigh the same in their 50’s as they did in college and have significantly less muscle and more fat on their body.</p> <p>A&#0160;study by Brozek and Keys determined that the average male at 20 years of age has 10.3 % bodyfat and by the time he reaches 55 years, his % bodyfat increased to 25%.&#0160; This implies that a man weighing 160lbs at 20 will only have 16lbs of bodyfat and the same man at 55 will have 40lbs of fat.&#0160; That’s a loss of 24lbs of muscle, bone and organ tissue and a gain of 24lbs of added fat.&#0160; To be of healthy % bodyfat at the age 55, this individual should only weight 148lbs and carry 19% bodyfat.&#0160; It would have been better that he exercised throughout his life and maintained his muscle, bone and organ mass.&#0160; This example is for a man, but the same concept holds true for women.</p> <p>This kind of change doesn’t happen to everyone. &#0160;People that have active lifestyles, exercise daily and eat a healthy diet do not lose muscle tissue or gain bodyfat throughout their lives.&#0160; In fact, people over 50 years of age can gain back muscle and lose bodyfat through a proper diet and exercise program.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Growing Old" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d41040554970c-800wi" title="Growing Old" /></a></p> <p><strong>The Application of Bodyfat Information</strong></p> <p>It’s important to note that body composition changes start as early as 18 and by 25 most North Americans have already lost lean mass and gained body fat.&#0160; And that’s the ones that have maintained their correct weight.&#0160; It’s even worse for those that have gained weight.&#0160; If people monitor their % bodyfat early and often, they will see the changes and be able to make the correct changes before the weight challenge become serious and a lifelong struggle.</p> <p>Another important reason to know your % bodyfat is to monitor the affect of a new diet or exercise program on muscle tissue and fat development.&#0160; Research has shown that a people that go on one of the many fad diets will generally lose muscle tissue and not fat, but in the absence of actually taking regular bodyfat measurements the dieter will never know the harmful effects if all they rely on is their weight scale.</p> <p>The most effective way to reduce the proper weight is through exercise and eating a well balanced diet, while monitoring your % bodyfat to ensure the weight loss is fat and not muscle tissue.&#0160; As I train and prepare for the <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/race" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route</a> bike race this August from Geneva to Nice, I’m following this process myself, as I have to reduce my total body weight while maintaining my muscle mass to ensure I have the optimal power to weight ratio to power my lighter body over the 68,000 feet (21,000 meters) of climbing during the 7 days of racing.</p> <p>Yet another important use of bodyfat measuring regards people that are the proper weight, or even a little underweight according to BMI and other weight/height charts and may even look healthy, when in fact they’re actually “under muscled” and “over fat”.&#0160; The fact that their small muscles weigh so little they are often given the false impression that they are a healthy weight, when in fact they are over fat and require an exercise program to gain muscle tissue while losing the unhealthy fat.</p> <p>Like the example above, the opposite is true for a person that’s particularly muscular with low bodyfat.&#0160; According to the BMI and other weight/height charts this person is considered overweight, when in fact they’re actually quite lean and if they went on a diet, they would only lose muscle tissue.&#0160; So, only by measuring their bodyfat will they know they’re of a healthy weight.</p> <p>Finally, when a person decides to take action and commits to a well planned exercise program, combined with a nutritious and well balanced diet, they may actually see a weight gain for the first few months as they gain heavier lean muscle tissue while losing the lighter bodyfat.&#0160; Seeing their weight increase may be discouraging to the individual causing them to give up on their new healthy lifestyle.&#0160; By measuring both weight and % bodyfat, they will see the improvements and continue with the program with a sense of encouragement.</p> <p><strong>How do I measure % Bodyfat</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Slimguide" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee87824f8970d-800wi" title="Slimguide" /></a><br /></strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">There are a two common methods and devices to measure % bodyfat at home. These are the Skinfold Calipers and Bio-impedance devices.&#0160; I have both and of the two, the skinfold caliper is the more accurate method.&#0160; The down side of skinfold calipers, is they generally require a second person to take the measurements.&#0160; &#0160;That said, I have become a master of measuring myself after only a few tries and the readings are very accurate.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">So if you really want to understand your true healthy weight, don’t just rely on your weigh scale and the BMI chart as your guide, as this method may provide you with incorrect information.&#0160; Purchase online a set of enexpensive&#0160;<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=pd_sl_7ikl2ax6it_b?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=body+fat+calipers&amp;tag=googcana-20&amp;index=aps&amp;hvadid=7288237302&amp;hvpos=1t1&amp;hvexid=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=9472799721743010157&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=b" target="_blank" title="Skinfold Calipers">Skinfold Calipers</a> and take the time to make weekly, or at a minimum monthly bodyfat measurements to ensure you maintain a healthy body composition throughout your life.&#0160; </p> <p>And most importantly, taking corrective action once you know your body’s composition is the key to a healthy future.&#0160; &#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d" height="329" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee878507a970d-800wi" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" width="171" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017c36680c55970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-01-30T05:20:45Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b5ca9970bCalories are NOT Created Equallyhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-01-30T05:20:44Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I’d like to share with you an article I recently read in <strong><em>Bicycle Magazine</em></strong> that’s excellent “<em>food for thought</em>” (pardon the pun).&#0160; And not just for cyclists, but for anyone that’s interested in maintaining a healthy weight.&#0160; It&#39;s often suggested that it doesn&#39;t matter if&#0160;the calories you eat&#0160;comes from a donut, or an apple, because a calorie is a calorie and the body doesn’t know the difference.&#0160; Nothing could be further from the truth.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Donut and Apple" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d-800wi" title="Donut and Apple" /></a></p> <p>Let’s start with some basics.&#0160; There are 3,500 calories in every pound of body weight and when you exercise you burn a varying amount of calories depending on your activity and intensity. For example, I zap around 9 to 10 calories every minute when I’m riding my bike, which means a guy weighing 159 pounds like myself will burn between 500 and 600 calories on a typical one hour bike ride—roughly the calories in a 6-inch Spicy Italian Subway sub. (If you&#39;re heavier, you shed more calories; if you&#39;re lighter, you lose less.)</p> <p>Most people that exercise generally overestimate how many calories they’re burning up during their workout.&#0160; And if they eat an energy bar and drink a sports drink, they’ve effectively cancelled any calorie burn. &#0160;According to Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of sports nutrition at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, “Surveys show that many exercisers overestimate the calories they burn by nearly double and unless every morsel has a food label, it&#39;s difficult to know how many calories are consumed and even harder to know how much you&#39;re burning.&quot;&#0160; And it goes without saying that your average couch potato has no clue what they’re consuming and unfortunately they&#0160;couldn’t care less.&#0160; In fact,&#0160;the only time&#0160;they take an&#0160;interest is when they’re told they have heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.</p> <p>As mentioned above, a calorie is a measurement of the energy in food. And for years we&#39;ve been told a calorie is a calorie. According to Bonci, &quot;Foods close to their natural state, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean, whole cuts of meat, require energy from your body to chew and digest them. They create a thermic response, which means you burn calories just processing them.&quot;</p> <p>Bonci and other experts partly blame the preponderance of &quot;<strong><em>lazy calories</em></strong>&quot; for the current obesity epidemic. &quot;Our food is so heavily processed, it&#39;s practically predigested,&quot; she says. &quot;That fast-food burger you eat from McDonalds has gone through so much pulverization, you barely have to chew. We&#39;re losing the ability to burn calories as we naturally would during the eating and digestive process.&quot; And many of these same foods are calorie-dense, so there&#39;s more for your body to store.</p> <p>Neither Bonci nor I suggest counting calories as it takes the joy out of eating and ends up a futile venture. Instead, fill your plate with active calories, like those found in fruits and vegetables. Such foods possess more fiber and water, which means you digest them slowly, feel satisfied longer with longer-lasting energy. &#0160;Consider them as, &quot;<em><strong>free foods</strong></em>&quot; and eat as many as you want.</p> <p>By simply changing the composition of your plate, you will lose weight without worrying about hunger pangs, counting calories, or bonking episodes if you’re a cyclist like me. Below shows what a &quot;<strong><em>high</em></strong> <strong><em>performance plate</em></strong>&quot; should look like. Structuring your meals this way will allow you to fill up without filling out.</p> <p><strong>The Performance Plate</strong></p> <ul> <li>One-quarter to one-third of your meal should consist of active and semiactive calories from protein such as lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy.</li> <li>One-half should be active calories from fruits and vegetables (for the fill-and-chew factor).</li> <li>One-quarter should be active and semiactive calories from whole-grain starches: brown rice, whole-wheat pasta.</li> <li>Couch Potato calories should be consumed sparingly; and if you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8) try your best to avoid them completely.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Active Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Lean meat, fish, poultry</li> <li>Fruits</li> <li>Vegetables</li> <li>Leafy greens</li> <li>Whole grains</li> <li>Beans and legumes</li> </ul> <p><strong>Semiactive Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Fiber-rich cereal</li> <li>Whole-grain bread</li> <li>Low-fat dairy</li> <li>Soups</li> </ul> <p><strong>Couch Potato Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Pastries, cookies, pies, cakes</li> <li>Fatty processed meats</li> <li>Chips, pretzels, snack foods</li> <li>Fast food</li> </ul> <p>So being mindful of foods that are not only nutritious, but require energy to digest, you won’t have to starve yourself on one of those crazy diet programs that force you to count every calorie while depriving yourself the enjoyment of eating for pleasure as well as nourishment.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob Ventoux 2 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b" height="205" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b-800wi" title="Rob Ventoux 2 Web" width="319" /></a></p> <p>I’d like to share with you an article I recently read in <strong><em>Bicycle Magazine</em></strong> that’s excellent “<em>food for thought</em>” (pardon the pun).&#0160; And not just for cyclists, but for anyone that’s interested in maintaining a healthy weight.&#0160; It&#39;s often suggested that it doesn&#39;t matter if&#0160;the calories you eat&#0160;comes from a donut, or an apple, because a calorie is a calorie and the body doesn’t know the difference.&#0160; Nothing could be further from the truth.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Donut and Apple" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7fe6c2c970d-800wi" title="Donut and Apple" /></a></p> <p>Let’s start with some basics.&#0160; There are 3,500 calories in every pound of body weight and when you exercise you burn a varying amount of calories depending on your activity and intensity. For example, I zap around 9 to 10 calories every minute when I’m riding my bike, which means a guy weighing 159 pounds like myself will burn between 500 and 600 calories on a typical one hour bike ride—roughly the calories in a 6-inch Spicy Italian Subway sub. (If you&#39;re heavier, you shed more calories; if you&#39;re lighter, you lose less.)</p> <p>Most people that exercise generally overestimate how many calories they’re burning up during their workout.&#0160; And if they eat an energy bar and drink a sports drink, they’ve effectively cancelled any calorie burn. &#0160;According to Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director of sports nutrition at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, “Surveys show that many exercisers overestimate the calories they burn by nearly double and unless every morsel has a food label, it&#39;s difficult to know how many calories are consumed and even harder to know how much you&#39;re burning.&quot;&#0160; And it goes without saying that your average couch potato has no clue what they’re consuming and unfortunately they&#0160;couldn’t care less.&#0160; In fact,&#0160;the only time&#0160;they take an&#0160;interest is when they’re told they have heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.</p> <p>As mentioned above, a calorie is a measurement of the energy in food. And for years we&#39;ve been told a calorie is a calorie. According to Bonci, &quot;Foods close to their natural state, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean, whole cuts of meat, require energy from your body to chew and digest them. They create a thermic response, which means you burn calories just processing them.&quot;</p> <p>Bonci and other experts partly blame the preponderance of &quot;<strong><em>lazy calories</em></strong>&quot; for the current obesity epidemic. &quot;Our food is so heavily processed, it&#39;s practically predigested,&quot; she says. &quot;That fast-food burger you eat from McDonalds has gone through so much pulverization, you barely have to chew. We&#39;re losing the ability to burn calories as we naturally would during the eating and digestive process.&quot; And many of these same foods are calorie-dense, so there&#39;s more for your body to store.</p> <p>Neither Bonci nor I suggest counting calories as it takes the joy out of eating and ends up a futile venture. Instead, fill your plate with active calories, like those found in fruits and vegetables. Such foods possess more fiber and water, which means you digest them slowly, feel satisfied longer with longer-lasting energy. &#0160;Consider them as, &quot;<em><strong>free foods</strong></em>&quot; and eat as many as you want.</p> <p>By simply changing the composition of your plate, you will lose weight without worrying about hunger pangs, counting calories, or bonking episodes if you’re a cyclist like me. Below shows what a &quot;<strong><em>high</em></strong> <strong><em>performance plate</em></strong>&quot; should look like. Structuring your meals this way will allow you to fill up without filling out.</p> <p><strong>The Performance Plate</strong></p> <ul> <li>One-quarter to one-third of your meal should consist of active and semiactive calories from protein such as lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy.</li> <li>One-half should be active calories from fruits and vegetables (for the fill-and-chew factor).</li> <li>One-quarter should be active and semiactive calories from whole-grain starches: brown rice, whole-wheat pasta.</li> <li>Couch Potato calories should be consumed sparingly; and if you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8) try your best to avoid them completely.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Active Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Lean meat, fish, poultry</li> <li>Fruits</li> <li>Vegetables</li> <li>Leafy greens</li> <li>Whole grains</li> <li>Beans and legumes</li> </ul> <p><strong>Semiactive Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Fiber-rich cereal</li> <li>Whole-grain bread</li> <li>Low-fat dairy</li> <li>Soups</li> </ul> <p><strong>Couch Potato Calories</strong> </p> <ul> <li>Pastries, cookies, pies, cakes</li> <li>Fatty processed meats</li> <li>Chips, pretzels, snack foods</li> <li>Fast food</li> </ul> <p>So being mindful of foods that are not only nutritious, but require energy to digest, you won’t have to starve yourself on one of those crazy diet programs that force you to count every calorie while depriving yourself the enjoyment of eating for pleasure as well as nourishment.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rob Ventoux 2 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b" height="205" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c365b4e77970b-800wi" title="Rob Ventoux 2 Web" width="319" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017c3651c803970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-01-28T02:50:48Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651991b970bResolutions that Stickhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-01-28T02:50:47Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Two weeks ago I&#0160;wrote an <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Peter LeClaire">inspirational blog post </a>about how Peter LeClaire made a significant and lasting change to his lifestyle, resulting in a new found health unthinkable a few short years ago.&#0160;&#0160;That single post drove more traffic to this blog site than any other post I&#39;ve published since I started blogging over 2 1/2 years ago.&#0160; Not everyone has what Peter has to make a resolution stick, so this week, I&#39;m please to have back my resident guest blogger, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les ">Dr Les Davidson </a>to provide clear, actionable steps that may help you make&#0160;the kind of change Peter LeClaire&#0160;is committed to. </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob </p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Livestrong - 2010 number 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b" height="378" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b-800wi" title="Livestrong - 2010 number 1" width="192" /></a></p> <p><strong>NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS - make them happen anytime.</strong></p> <p>As a health-care practioner, I often ask my patients if they have specific resolutions or fitness goals for the New Year. Some patients say there is nothing magical about the fact that planet Earth has made yet another successful trip around the Sun; they never make New Year’s resolutions. Others, however, are excited and resolve that 2013 will be different. &#0160;</p> <p>For the ever-hopeful resolvers, their chance of success, unfortunately, is limited. Most of the conditions I treat in the clinic, for example, could be avoided or at least ameliorated with lifestyle change. The creation of healthy habits is critical in achieving true health potential —but creating habits is difficult. It’s not that we want to suffer; it’s that we keep doing the same thing while expecting different results. Remember the definition of insanity? Most of us are guility of insanity in at least one area of our lives. </p> <p><strong>THE SCIENCE OF CHANGE</strong></p> <p>In <em>Changeology: How to Bring Your Resolutions to Fruition,</em> author John Norcross describes the steps to creating change. Most of us already know the missteps. Missteps have led us to believe that:</p> <ol> <li><em>People can’t change on their own</em>. </li> <li><em>Most resolutions are trivial</em>. </li> <li><em>Change requires only willpower.</em> </li> <li><em>It’s all in my genes.</em> </li> <li><em>I can’t change; I have tried.</em> </li> </ol> <p>The truth is that three-quarters of those who change do so on their own; changes can be life enhancing, if not life saving; and those who rely solely on willpower fail at a greater rate. There is a difference between genetic determination and genetic predispositon and change is easiest if you have a strategy in place. In other words, if you have tried and failed, don’t give in to over-generalization or fear of failure.</p> <p><strong>MOTIVATION</strong></p> <p>First, it is important to establish your <strong>Reason </strong>for change. </p> <ol> <li><strong>Recognize</strong> how bad habits are contributing to your over-all health challenges. If you have a daily doughnut habit, recognize what it does to your glycemic levels. Then stop driving through the drive-through until you can drive through without auto-pilot-ordering a double chocolate with your double double!&#0160;<strong>&#0160;</strong></li> <li><strong>Research. </strong>In recent years evidence shows that things we once viewed as health promoting are detrimental to your health. We ate margarine that was high in trans fats and for heart health we avoided all fats not realizing that we needed to have more Omega 3 fats ( Science, Medicine and the Future Omega 3 fatty acid and cardiovascular disease. British Medical Journal 2004: 328: 30-35). Another example is the amount of research supporting resistance training for health. Do your homework or talk with your health-care provider or fitness trainer for the latest research.</li> <li><strong>Respect</strong> changes in life circumstances – injuries, intolerances to certain foods, or the one I can most relate to, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/11/painful-lessons.html" target="_blank" title="Getting Older">getting older</a>. </li> <li><strong>Rediscover</strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html">your </a><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html" target="_blank" title="6 rules">passion</a>. &#0160;People often lose their way when they live without something they love to do.</li> </ol>Learn how simple, clear and actionable steps from my resident guest blogger, Dr Les Davidson will help us all make&#0160;the kind of positive lifestyle change that stick. <p><strong>IT’S NOT JUST A LACK OF WILL POWER</strong></p> <p>Most of us already have some good habits; we automatically buckle our seat belt, we brush our teeth, and (if we are a guy who lives with women) we leave the toilet seat down. The more autopilot habits we have, the more energy we have left over to exert self-control in the areas we still need to work on. Self-control requires energy and is, therefore, a finite resource. When we are using energy to face fears, project a certain image, manage limited financial resources, it is no wonder we have little energy left to exert self-control! </p> <p>In their book, <em>Switch:</em> <em>How to Change Things When Change is Hard, </em>Chip and Dan Heath use the anology of an elephant and its rider to describe the two independent systems operating in our brain. The elephant is emotional, instinctive, and in search of instant gratification. The rider is rational, goal oriented, but often over-analytical and struggles to make decisions. In order to make lasting change, you have to appeal to both to the rider and the elephant.</p> <p><strong>THREE STEPS FOR LASTING CHANGE</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Riding A Thai Elephant" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b-800wi" title="Riding A Thai Elephant" /></a><br /></strong></p> <p><strong>1) Direct the rider </strong></p> <p>Successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behavior. Clone past successes and script the critical moves. Rather than saying you want to eat better, determine what eating better looks like (your destination or goal) and then decide what resources and strategies you need (a nutritionalist, a shopping list, an online food diary, or an accountability partner). Pick a day to begin.</p> <p><strong>2) Motivate the elephant</strong></p> <p>Find the feeling behind the reason. Knowledge isn’t enough to change behavior. (We have all met crazy shrinks, obese physicians, and divorced marriage counselors.) If you used to love to ski, get to the gym/lose weight/get healthy so you can once again experience the thrill of shooshing down the hill. If you have fifty pounds to lose before you can fit into your ski pants, shrink the change. Break the weight down into five-pound increments. You want early wins. Small wins raise perceived skill level. Big changes come from a succession of small wins. Start a vision board with lots of pictures and words that capture the feelings and emotions associated with reaching your objectives.</p> <p><strong>&#0160;3) Shape the Path</strong></p> <p>Remember the rider who struggled to make decisions? In <em>Paradox of Choice, </em>author Barry Schwartz states that the more options we face, the more we become overloaded. Choice then no longer liberates but debilitates; the rider loses control and the gratification-seeking elephant seeks the bag of potato chips, the remote control or the Haagen-Dazs. Before that happens, limit your options by tweaking your environment to make it easy to choose the activity that moves you to the goal. For example lay out your workout clothes the night before. Bring a thermos bag of food to work so you aren’t tempted by the treats. Environmental tweaks beat self-control every time. </p> <p>Pre-decide that each time you walk into the TV room, you’ll do ten pushups; pre-decide that whenever you drive to Safeway, you’ll phone Mom and ask her if she needs anything. Since habitual behavior is free (it doesn’t take decision-making energy), these “action triggers” can create instant habits.</p> <p>There is nothing magical about making New Year’s resolutons. Your decision to change can begin on any day – an anniversary, a birthday, even Valentine’s Day. The most important thing is to start. Are you continuing to change and grow? If not, consider this: What could you change and how would that improve your life, your health, and your relationships! <strong>Start Now!</strong></p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years….Dr Les</p> <p>Two weeks ago I&#0160;wrote an <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2013/01/im-not-the-man-i-wasim-healthy-now.html" target="_blank" title="Peter LeClaire">inspirational blog post </a>about how Peter LeClaire made a significant and lasting change to his lifestyle, resulting in a new found health unthinkable a few short years ago.&#0160;&#0160;That single post drove more traffic to this blog site than any other post I&#39;ve published since I started blogging over 2 1/2 years ago.&#0160; Not everyone has what Peter has to make a resolution stick, so this week, I&#39;m please to have back my resident guest blogger, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les ">Dr Les Davidson </a>to provide clear, actionable steps that may help you make&#0160;the kind of change Peter LeClaire&#0160;is committed to. </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob </p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Livestrong - 2010 number 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b" height="378" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651a2ba970b-800wi" title="Livestrong - 2010 number 1" width="192" /></a></p> <p><strong>NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS - make them happen anytime.</strong></p> <p>As a health-care practioner, I often ask my patients if they have specific resolutions or fitness goals for the New Year. Some patients say there is nothing magical about the fact that planet Earth has made yet another successful trip around the Sun; they never make New Year’s resolutions. Others, however, are excited and resolve that 2013 will be different. &#0160;</p> <p>For the ever-hopeful resolvers, their chance of success, unfortunately, is limited. Most of the conditions I treat in the clinic, for example, could be avoided or at least ameliorated with lifestyle change. The creation of healthy habits is critical in achieving true health potential —but creating habits is difficult. It’s not that we want to suffer; it’s that we keep doing the same thing while expecting different results. Remember the definition of insanity? Most of us are guility of insanity in at least one area of our lives. </p> <p><strong>THE SCIENCE OF CHANGE</strong></p> <p>In <em>Changeology: How to Bring Your Resolutions to Fruition,</em> author John Norcross describes the steps to creating change. Most of us already know the missteps. Missteps have led us to believe that:</p> <ol> <li><em>People can’t change on their own</em>. </li> <li><em>Most resolutions are trivial</em>. </li> <li><em>Change requires only willpower.</em> </li> <li><em>It’s all in my genes.</em> </li> <li><em>I can’t change; I have tried.</em> </li> </ol> <p>The truth is that three-quarters of those who change do so on their own; changes can be life enhancing, if not life saving; and those who rely solely on willpower fail at a greater rate. There is a difference between genetic determination and genetic predispositon and change is easiest if you have a strategy in place. In other words, if you have tried and failed, don’t give in to over-generalization or fear of failure.</p> <p><strong>MOTIVATION</strong></p> <p>First, it is important to establish your <strong>Reason </strong>for change. </p> <ol> <li><strong>Recognize</strong> how bad habits are contributing to your over-all health challenges. If you have a daily doughnut habit, recognize what it does to your glycemic levels. Then stop driving through the drive-through until you can drive through without auto-pilot-ordering a double chocolate with your double double!&#0160;<strong>&#0160;</strong></li> <li><strong>Research. </strong>In recent years evidence shows that things we once viewed as health promoting are detrimental to your health. We ate margarine that was high in trans fats and for heart health we avoided all fats not realizing that we needed to have more Omega 3 fats ( Science, Medicine and the Future Omega 3 fatty acid and cardiovascular disease. British Medical Journal 2004: 328: 30-35). Another example is the amount of research supporting resistance training for health. Do your homework or talk with your health-care provider or fitness trainer for the latest research.</li> <li><strong>Respect</strong> changes in life circumstances – injuries, intolerances to certain foods, or the one I can most relate to, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/11/painful-lessons.html" target="_blank" title="Getting Older">getting older</a>. </li> <li><strong>Rediscover</strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html">your </a><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html" target="_blank" title="6 rules">passion</a>. &#0160;People often lose their way when they live without something they love to do.</li> </ol>Learn how simple, clear and actionable steps from my resident guest blogger, Dr Les Davidson will help us all make&#0160;the kind of positive lifestyle change that stick. <p><strong>IT’S NOT JUST A LACK OF WILL POWER</strong></p> <p>Most of us already have some good habits; we automatically buckle our seat belt, we brush our teeth, and (if we are a guy who lives with women) we leave the toilet seat down. The more autopilot habits we have, the more energy we have left over to exert self-control in the areas we still need to work on. Self-control requires energy and is, therefore, a finite resource. When we are using energy to face fears, project a certain image, manage limited financial resources, it is no wonder we have little energy left to exert self-control! </p> <p>In their book, <em>Switch:</em> <em>How to Change Things When Change is Hard, </em>Chip and Dan Heath use the anology of an elephant and its rider to describe the two independent systems operating in our brain. The elephant is emotional, instinctive, and in search of instant gratification. The rider is rational, goal oriented, but often over-analytical and struggles to make decisions. In order to make lasting change, you have to appeal to both to the rider and the elephant.</p> <p><strong>THREE STEPS FOR LASTING CHANGE</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Riding A Thai Elephant" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3651b4b8970b-800wi" title="Riding A Thai Elephant" /></a><br /></strong></p> <p><strong>1) Direct the rider </strong></p> <p>Successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behavior. Clone past successes and script the critical moves. Rather than saying you want to eat better, determine what eating better looks like (your destination or goal) and then decide what resources and strategies you need (a nutritionalist, a shopping list, an online food diary, or an accountability partner). Pick a day to begin.</p> <p><strong>2) Motivate the elephant</strong></p> <p>Find the feeling behind the reason. Knowledge isn’t enough to change behavior. (We have all met crazy shrinks, obese physicians, and divorced marriage counselors.) If you used to love to ski, get to the gym/lose weight/get healthy so you can once again experience the thrill of shooshing down the hill. If you have fifty pounds to lose before you can fit into your ski pants, shrink the change. Break the weight down into five-pound increments. You want early wins. Small wins raise perceived skill level. Big changes come from a succession of small wins. Start a vision board with lots of pictures and words that capture the feelings and emotions associated with reaching your objectives.</p> <p><strong>&#0160;3) Shape the Path</strong></p> <p>Remember the rider who struggled to make decisions? In <em>Paradox of Choice, </em>author Barry Schwartz states that the more options we face, the more we become overloaded. Choice then no longer liberates but debilitates; the rider loses control and the gratification-seeking elephant seeks the bag of potato chips, the remote control or the Haagen-Dazs. Before that happens, limit your options by tweaking your environment to make it easy to choose the activity that moves you to the goal. For example lay out your workout clothes the night before. Bring a thermos bag of food to work so you aren’t tempted by the treats. Environmental tweaks beat self-control every time. </p> <p>Pre-decide that each time you walk into the TV room, you’ll do ten pushups; pre-decide that whenever you drive to Safeway, you’ll phone Mom and ask her if she needs anything. Since habitual behavior is free (it doesn’t take decision-making energy), these “action triggers” can create instant habits.</p> <p>There is nothing magical about making New Year’s resolutons. Your decision to change can begin on any day – an anniversary, a birthday, even Valentine’s Day. The most important thing is to start. Are you continuing to change and grow? If not, consider this: What could you change and how would that improve your life, your health, and your relationships! <strong>Start Now!</strong></p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years….Dr Les</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee7d30346970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-01-23T19:26:57Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c362f5b12970bLance Armstrong...he is the best and worst of all of ushttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-01-23T19:26:56Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I’m not sure if it’s my last name or that I’m a cyclist, or both that makes me a target for opinion on this whole Lance Armstrong thing and I, like so many others couldn’t resist watching the Oprah interview to see what he said.&#0160; I struggle every time someone asks me the question, “so what do you think of Lance Armstrong”? </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance-armstrong-tour-de-france-2009" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c-800wi" title="Lance-armstrong-tour-de-france-2009" /></a></p> <p>Externally my answer is pretty clear, although internally I have mixed opinions.&#0160; </p> <p>You see, the integrity part of me hates the bastard for all the bullying, cheating, and lying over these many years.&#0160; I watched him race and speak directly into the camera that he didn’t cheat and he would attack anyone that challenged his word.&#0160; He ruined the lives of many people whose only fault was telling the truth.&#0160; He represents everything I despise in a person, so of course I hold him in great distain. </p> <p>I’m also a competitive cyclist and I respect his drive, dedication, discipline, athletic capabilities (without the drugs), and his all out, never say die attitude that’s required in all high performing champions. I wish I had more of that.&#0160; So I respect the guy.</p> <p>Wait a minute; a second ago&#0160;you said&#0160;you hated the guy.&#0160; Come on Rob, you can’t suck and blow at the same time, you either hate him or you respect him, you have to pick a side. But in the case of Lance Armstrong, you can suck and blow at the same time.</p> <p>Lance has this polarizing effect on the public.&#0160; He contains the personality traits we respect and hate, all embodied in the same individual. It&#39;s why some will respect him, while others hate him&#0160;passionately.&#0160; It just depends on the dominating characteristics each of us possesses whether you&#39;re a &quot;Hater&quot; or &quot;Believer&quot;.&#0160; <em><strong>He is the best and worst in all of us</strong></em>.&#0160; </p> <p>The next time you get into a heated debate over the details of why you feel the exact opposite to someone else about Lance, remember that your personality traits are different to theirs and they may respect and value certain aspects of Lance&#39;s character&#0160;and overlook the traits&#0160;that you passionately distain. There’s no right or wrong answer, only shades of grey.</p> <p>So here’s my new answer that I’m borrowing from my friend <a href="http://www.swimupstreamlife.com/2013/01/the-lance-in-all-of-us.html">Matt Young</a> as it summarizes him best.</p> <p><strong><em>Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor, legend, icon, son of a single parent, father to 4, boyfriend, ex husband, womanizer, &#0160;white, American, overachiever, athlete, role model, spokesperson, Olympian, team mate, captain, charismatic leader, businessman, above average hypocrite, me-centric, ego centric, ass-hole who’s now a scorned product of a society that loves to feed off his great story and then revel in the downfall, skinny, dork, really fast cyclist who cheated to reach a level of infamy we all dream of – but could only get to if we cheated and had his natural ability. <br /><br />So basically in many ways, he’s like you and I.</em></strong><strong>....only on steroids.</strong></p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 9 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d-800wi" title="Provence 9 - web" /></a></p> <p>I’m not sure if it’s my last name or that I’m a cyclist, or both that makes me a target for opinion on this whole Lance Armstrong thing and I, like so many others couldn’t resist watching the Oprah interview to see what he said.&#0160; I struggle every time someone asks me the question, “so what do you think of Lance Armstrong”? </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance-armstrong-tour-de-france-2009" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d405ea94c970c-800wi" title="Lance-armstrong-tour-de-france-2009" /></a></p> <p>Externally my answer is pretty clear, although internally I have mixed opinions.&#0160; </p> <p>You see, the integrity part of me hates the bastard for all the bullying, cheating, and lying over these many years.&#0160; I watched him race and speak directly into the camera that he didn’t cheat and he would attack anyone that challenged his word.&#0160; He ruined the lives of many people whose only fault was telling the truth.&#0160; He represents everything I despise in a person, so of course I hold him in great distain. </p> <p>I’m also a competitive cyclist and I respect his drive, dedication, discipline, athletic capabilities (without the drugs), and his all out, never say die attitude that’s required in all high performing champions. I wish I had more of that.&#0160; So I respect the guy.</p> <p>Wait a minute; a second ago&#0160;you said&#0160;you hated the guy.&#0160; Come on Rob, you can’t suck and blow at the same time, you either hate him or you respect him, you have to pick a side. But in the case of Lance Armstrong, you can suck and blow at the same time.</p> <p>Lance has this polarizing effect on the public.&#0160; He contains the personality traits we respect and hate, all embodied in the same individual. It&#39;s why some will respect him, while others hate him&#0160;passionately.&#0160; It just depends on the dominating characteristics each of us possesses whether you&#39;re a &quot;Hater&quot; or &quot;Believer&quot;.&#0160; <em><strong>He is the best and worst in all of us</strong></em>.&#0160; </p> <p>The next time you get into a heated debate over the details of why you feel the exact opposite to someone else about Lance, remember that your personality traits are different to theirs and they may respect and value certain aspects of Lance&#39;s character&#0160;and overlook the traits&#0160;that you passionately distain. There’s no right or wrong answer, only shades of grey.</p> <p>So here’s my new answer that I’m borrowing from my friend <a href="http://www.swimupstreamlife.com/2013/01/the-lance-in-all-of-us.html">Matt Young</a> as it summarizes him best.</p> <p><strong><em>Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor, legend, icon, son of a single parent, father to 4, boyfriend, ex husband, womanizer, &#0160;white, American, overachiever, athlete, role model, spokesperson, Olympian, team mate, captain, charismatic leader, businessman, above average hypocrite, me-centric, ego centric, ass-hole who’s now a scorned product of a society that loves to feed off his great story and then revel in the downfall, skinny, dork, really fast cyclist who cheated to reach a level of infamy we all dream of – but could only get to if we cheated and had his natural ability. <br /><br />So basically in many ways, he’s like you and I.</em></strong><strong>....only on steroids.</strong></p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 9 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7d2f172970d-800wi" title="Provence 9 - web" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee7a1488c970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2013-01-19T06:15:19Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbfc3970cI'm Not the Man I Was...I'm Healthy Nowhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2013-01-19T06:15:19Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">I usually write a blog that coincides with the 1<sup>st</sup> of January when people set their New Year’s Resolutions.&#0160; The number one Resolution people announce has something to do with their health. I generally explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and describe in detail the risks associated with the unhealthy alternative. This year is different. &#0160;I intentionally held off writing the same old message.&#0160; </p> <p>First, I decided to write a post mid way through January, because according to statistics, 70% of all people that make New Year’s Resolutions have already abandoned their commitment to a new lifestyle and retreated back to their favorite couch in front of the TV while eating unhealthy food and washing it down with soda, beer or a glass of wine.&#0160; </p> <p>Second, instead of “preaching” the benefits and risks associate with lifestyle choices, I decided to share a story written by Peter Leclaire. &#0160;I coached Peter last year and he finishing one of the hardest single day cycling races in the world.&#0160; What’s most impressive is when I started coaching Peter he weighed around 245lbs, and after 10 months of committing himself to a healthy lifestyle, Peter dropped his weight by 80lbs, to 165lbs and has become a lean, mean cycling machine.</p> <p>It’s my hope that by reading Peter’s transformational story, you too will be inspired by what’s possible when you take action and make this Year’s Resolution the one that sticks for the rest of your life.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 8 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c" height="274" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c-800wi" title="Provence 8 - web" width="241" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>&#0160;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>My Journey to Health - <span style="font-size: 12pt;">by Peter LeClaire</span></strong></span></p> <p>Ever since Robert (AKA: Coach) asked me to write my story describing my transformational journey soon after racing <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="Etape du Tour">Etape du Tour</a> back in July of 2012, I’ve been struggling how to best write this. I had many ideas floating in my head where to start my story, how to fill in the middle and provide an ending with a call to action for those who like me were sitting on the sidelines.&#0160; Below is my story and I hope it inspires you to make the lifestyle changes I embraced, regardless of your age, your gender or starting weight. </p> <p>My life, like many of yours, is fairly ordinary. I’m a 50+ year old guy that has time commitments of work, family, friends, etc. &#0160;I’m not an overachieving “AAA” personality with a strong take-charge mentality, but I am a passionate individual who generally loves what he does and sticks to it once started. This is especially true when people support and believe in me. This is where my story starts.</p> <p>About 5 years ago I registered for my first charity bike ride, a back to back metric century (100km) in support of the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, one of the largest charity rides in Canada. &#0160;At this point I had never thought of a bike ride in terms of distance, only in terms of time. I was excited about being part of something bigger than myself and raising money for a great cause in addition to joining over 4000 cyclists with the same goal. What I didn’t realize was how hard it was to get my fat behind (and I mean fat) out the door and actually do some training. I had no real game plan except to put some time on the saddle. I was quite overweight and considered obese even though I was reasonably active in other sports, but it didn’t take me long to realize just how out of shape I was when I began climbing hills I found myself gasping for each breath by the time I reached the summit feeling the negative effects a poor cardiovascular system and carrying so much extra body fat. I’m happy to report that I can laugh at those days now, but at the time it was not only painful, but provided a view into my general fitness level.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d-800wi" title="Peter Before" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I completed that first charity ride that spanned over a weekend and besides having fun, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment I immediately signed up for the next year’s event. This is when I realized the importance of setting a major goal for myself each year and cycling was the “vehicle” for me. Although I was still overweight, I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer four years in a row with the last two events being back to back 160km rides.&#0160; I erroneously felt that since I was doing all this riding I could reward myself with over abundant meals that were for the most part, unhealthy. </p> <p>I think I can say that my real transformation started two years ago when I was in France on vacation and had the opportunity to ride with Coach’s step brother <a href="http://viciouscycleblog.com/" target="_blank" title="Gerry Patterson">Gerry Patterson</a> who has been blogging about his cycling adventures and guided tours throughout the South of France. I contacted Gerry through his blog and we scheduled a guided day ride. The only thing I knew about our outing was that we were going for an 80km ride in the hills behind Nimes. I mean really, how tough could it be. I had a vision of a pleasant cycle through the rolling French countryside, but the reality was a far cry from what I had imagined in my head.&#0160; How naive was I? As much as I struggled that day, and I mean struggled as it was probably the hardest physical thing I had done in my life up until that point, it was an epiphany. Gerry was telling me about completing his first Etape de Tour race, or riding up the famous Mont Ventoux and it dawned on me that I would love to do a big mountain climb like that one day. I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking this because I’m the same guy that hated climbing any hill and used to ride out of my way just to avoid them.</p> <p>The biggest part of my transformation was to set a big goal, and after listening to Gerry talk about his riding and racing adventures I proceeded to sign up for what would become the biggest physical challenge of my life, the L’Etape du Tour 2012 – Act 2. For those who don’t know, this was an actual Tour de France stage, but for amateurs. This particular race was 202km and located in the high Pyrenees Mountains. &#0160;It was the hardest stage of that year’s Tour de France.</p> <p>It would be an understatement of colossal proportion to say this was a huge undertaking and probably something in my physical condition that bordered on impossible.&#0160; In fact, there were many times I thought to myself that I must be nuts to attempt such a physically demanding event. I knew I couldn’t do this alone and needed some guidance and structure to my training if I was going to accomplish this monumental task, and I had no idea how I was going to get it. Talk about setting an audacious goal. </p> <p>It was at this time that I was introduced to <a href="http://cyclinglanguedoc.com/high-road-alps-tour-2013/coaching-and-training-programs" target="_blank" title="Coach Rob">Robert Armstrong by Gerry</a>. Robert was looking for someone to train as he often does from time to time.&#0160; Gerry mentioned that I had signed up for the Etape du Tour race and recommend I contact his step brother for some training tips, as he coached him to his first Etape de Race.&#0160; Well be careful what you wish for, because I received more than a few coaching tips.&#0160; I think it was when I mentioned my weight to Rob that he realized I needed more than just a few coaching tips.&#0160; In fact, my challenge was a total life makeover.&#0160; Rob didn’t want to kill my dream of participating in this great race, but he said there was no way I could finish in my current condition and he was genuinely concerned for my long term health.&#0160; Rob didn’t charge me for his services, so he spent a long time qualifying my interest and personal commitment to the transformation plan and it wasn’t an easy process.&#0160; He told me that most people fail because they embark on these journeys for all the wrong reasons. &#0160;I basically had to convince him that I was worth his time, and I must have done a good job, because he took me on.&#0160; So as I said above, be careful what you wish for, because although Coach was supportive, he showed me no mercy.</p> <p>Even though his training program was communicated via email, because he lives in Calgary and I’m in the Toronto area, I felt his encouragement every day. If this was to work he said, there has to be complete honesty between the two of us. Coach sent me new dietary principals that I had to follow without question and he expected I follow it to the letter before we even started on the cycling training program.&#0160; He told me things about myself that were hard to hear, but it was the wake-up call I needed.&#0160; Commitment to my general health, given I was obese was far more important than riding a bike in some race in France.&#0160; But cycling was also the catalyst to get me to the end point. He explained the many health reasons why getting my size under control from my current weight of 245lbs back to my senior high school weight of 170 lbs was important.&#0160; I just thought he was nuts when he suggested I could lose 80lbs in 9 months. </p> <p>Changing my diet was difficult at first because it was based on the healthy foods I rarely ate, like Vegetables, Fruits, Salads, and a healthy balance of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat.&#0160; He also said no alcohol until I was back to a healthy weight.&#0160; &#0160;These were tough choices indeed.&#0160; Changing from a lifetime of self abuse based on bad food choices and avoiding sugars like soda pop &amp; concentrated fruit juices, processed convenient foods, as well as simple carbohydrates was very difficult. These were all the foods that contributed to my weight gain and provided me with the comfort I desired. &#0160;This was a significant change, but after his big speech about commitment to each other, it was tough to let him down, but more important, I wasn’t about to let myself down.</p> <p>The next step was making exercise a daily priority. Coach set up my program in 4 week periods. It started with approximately 7 hours of structured training per week, which progressively got harder and longer as the winter season wore on.&#0160; This was not to say that I didn’t grumble to myself more than a few times and that I was exhausted and tried to convince myself that couldn’t do this.&#0160; Every time that happened I focussed my thoughts knowing the big picture goal: a new me with a new healthy body with a newer outlook on life. Many of my friends witnessed my transformation right in front of their eyes as the excess fat started to melt away. As much as I was seeing and feeling the positive effects of Coach’s training program and dietary principles, I still remained focused on the big goal ahead, which was getting scarier by the minute as the Etape de Tour got closer and closer. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter training" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b-800wi" title="Peter training" /></a></p> <p>Since reducing a significant amount of body fat by the time the outdoor season arrived (by March/April I was weighing around 180), my overall riding significantly improved and my ability to climb hills was easier than I ever experienced. In addition to my new found energy, my wife was tossing out all my oversized clothes.&#0160; I had gone from a size extra large in everything I owned, to a size medium. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a medium in anything, but there I was wearing a new skin tight cycling kit 2 to 3 sizes smaller than I did a short 6 months before. I finally started to look like a real cyclist.&#0160; That being said, the other challenge I had to get used to was accepting my own self identity.&#0160; Every time I pasted a mirror or caught my reflection in a window, I didn’t recognize the skinny guy looking back at me.&#0160; And it wasn’t just me, many of my long time friends that I hadn’t seen for months didn’t recognize this new person that remotely looked like the fat guy they once knew.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d-800wi" title="Peter LeClair 1" /></a></p> <p>I found it strange that when I was obese, no one ever told me I was too fat, but now that I’m a very healthy size, with a BMI of 24, people will tell me all the time that I’m too thin.&#0160; I think we have so many overweight people in our country that used to look like me, we’ve lost track of what a healthy person should look like, because having a healthy weight is no longer “normal” in this country and people feel it’s ok to point out that you don’t look like the rest of the fat population.</p> <p>2012 was a big year for me. In late 2011 I finally met the woman of my dreams whom I was to marry in July prior to going to France for Etape. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a honeymoon and do some cycling at the same time. My wife got to proudly watch me complete my goal of competing in Etape de Tour and only 3 days later climb the epic mountain of Mont Ventoux with a new friend John who was gracious enough to open his home to us for a few days. Thanks to Gerry for taking me out on that ride a couple years ago for without that single act of generosity, who knows who I would be today. You never know where that turn in the road takes you.</p> <p>As I mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to set goals to keep yourself motivated. I love my new life of opportunities and I plan to stay this way.&#0160; I continue to train under the guidance of Coach Rob and have already seen further improvements in my fitness levels. </p> <p><strong>So what’s on my agenda for 2013?</strong></p> <p>I’ve signed up for another stage race in France which takes place in Lac Annecy on July 7th. I’m going to climb the epic mountain of Alpe D’huez (13.7km, 8.1% grade, 21 switchbacks, 1071 meters of climbing). &#0160;And if that isn’t enough, I plan to ride the famous mountain in the heart of Provence, Mt Ventoux, not once, but three times in the same day from the three different start towns. And finally back home I’ll do a couple 160km+ races.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c-800wi" title="Peter 3" /></a></p> <p>I share the list above not to brag, but to highlight the opportunities that are available to me now that I’ve taken control of my health and made it a priority in my life. I can truly enjoy my passion for cycling. I’ll never go back to my unhealthy self. &#0160;Take it from a guy that was obese and take control of your life, set a goal that scares you to hell, build a plan that includes someone to support and motivate you and most importantly, take action.&#0160; As the Nike slogan goes, “<em>Just do It</em>”.&#0160; Coach would often say to me,“<em>Knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch</em>”.&#0160; Well, I think by now most everyone knows what’s required to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s not rocket science.&#0160; Flick your switch and you too can enjoy an exciting life that isn’t held back by any physical limitations.&#0160; </p> <p>Best of health.....Peter LeClaire.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">I usually write a blog that coincides with the 1<sup>st</sup> of January when people set their New Year’s Resolutions.&#0160; The number one Resolution people announce has something to do with their health. I generally explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and describe in detail the risks associated with the unhealthy alternative. This year is different. &#0160;I intentionally held off writing the same old message.&#0160; </p> <p>First, I decided to write a post mid way through January, because according to statistics, 70% of all people that make New Year’s Resolutions have already abandoned their commitment to a new lifestyle and retreated back to their favorite couch in front of the TV while eating unhealthy food and washing it down with soda, beer or a glass of wine.&#0160; </p> <p>Second, instead of “preaching” the benefits and risks associate with lifestyle choices, I decided to share a story written by Peter Leclaire. &#0160;I coached Peter last year and he finishing one of the hardest single day cycling races in the world.&#0160; What’s most impressive is when I started coaching Peter he weighed around 245lbs, and after 10 months of committing himself to a healthy lifestyle, Peter dropped his weight by 80lbs, to 165lbs and has become a lean, mean cycling machine.</p> <p>It’s my hope that by reading Peter’s transformational story, you too will be inspired by what’s possible when you take action and make this Year’s Resolution the one that sticks for the rest of your life.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 8 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c" height="274" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbe87970c-800wi" title="Provence 8 - web" width="241" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>&#0160;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>My Journey to Health - <span style="font-size: 12pt;">by Peter LeClaire</span></strong></span></p> <p>Ever since Robert (AKA: Coach) asked me to write my story describing my transformational journey soon after racing <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="Etape du Tour">Etape du Tour</a> back in July of 2012, I’ve been struggling how to best write this. I had many ideas floating in my head where to start my story, how to fill in the middle and provide an ending with a call to action for those who like me were sitting on the sidelines.&#0160; Below is my story and I hope it inspires you to make the lifestyle changes I embraced, regardless of your age, your gender or starting weight. </p> <p>My life, like many of yours, is fairly ordinary. I’m a 50+ year old guy that has time commitments of work, family, friends, etc. &#0160;I’m not an overachieving “AAA” personality with a strong take-charge mentality, but I am a passionate individual who generally loves what he does and sticks to it once started. This is especially true when people support and believe in me. This is where my story starts.</p> <p>About 5 years ago I registered for my first charity bike ride, a back to back metric century (100km) in support of the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, one of the largest charity rides in Canada. &#0160;At this point I had never thought of a bike ride in terms of distance, only in terms of time. I was excited about being part of something bigger than myself and raising money for a great cause in addition to joining over 4000 cyclists with the same goal. What I didn’t realize was how hard it was to get my fat behind (and I mean fat) out the door and actually do some training. I had no real game plan except to put some time on the saddle. I was quite overweight and considered obese even though I was reasonably active in other sports, but it didn’t take me long to realize just how out of shape I was when I began climbing hills I found myself gasping for each breath by the time I reached the summit feeling the negative effects a poor cardiovascular system and carrying so much extra body fat. I’m happy to report that I can laugh at those days now, but at the time it was not only painful, but provided a view into my general fitness level.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a104f9970d-800wi" title="Peter Before" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I completed that first charity ride that spanned over a weekend and besides having fun, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment I immediately signed up for the next year’s event. This is when I realized the importance of setting a major goal for myself each year and cycling was the “vehicle” for me. Although I was still overweight, I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer four years in a row with the last two events being back to back 160km rides.&#0160; I erroneously felt that since I was doing all this riding I could reward myself with over abundant meals that were for the most part, unhealthy. </p> <p>I think I can say that my real transformation started two years ago when I was in France on vacation and had the opportunity to ride with Coach’s step brother <a href="http://viciouscycleblog.com/" target="_blank" title="Gerry Patterson">Gerry Patterson</a> who has been blogging about his cycling adventures and guided tours throughout the South of France. I contacted Gerry through his blog and we scheduled a guided day ride. The only thing I knew about our outing was that we were going for an 80km ride in the hills behind Nimes. I mean really, how tough could it be. I had a vision of a pleasant cycle through the rolling French countryside, but the reality was a far cry from what I had imagined in my head.&#0160; How naive was I? As much as I struggled that day, and I mean struggled as it was probably the hardest physical thing I had done in my life up until that point, it was an epiphany. Gerry was telling me about completing his first Etape de Tour race, or riding up the famous Mont Ventoux and it dawned on me that I would love to do a big mountain climb like that one day. I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking this because I’m the same guy that hated climbing any hill and used to ride out of my way just to avoid them.</p> <p>The biggest part of my transformation was to set a big goal, and after listening to Gerry talk about his riding and racing adventures I proceeded to sign up for what would become the biggest physical challenge of my life, the L’Etape du Tour 2012 – Act 2. For those who don’t know, this was an actual Tour de France stage, but for amateurs. This particular race was 202km and located in the high Pyrenees Mountains. &#0160;It was the hardest stage of that year’s Tour de France.</p> <p>It would be an understatement of colossal proportion to say this was a huge undertaking and probably something in my physical condition that bordered on impossible.&#0160; In fact, there were many times I thought to myself that I must be nuts to attempt such a physically demanding event. I knew I couldn’t do this alone and needed some guidance and structure to my training if I was going to accomplish this monumental task, and I had no idea how I was going to get it. Talk about setting an audacious goal. </p> <p>It was at this time that I was introduced to <a href="http://cyclinglanguedoc.com/high-road-alps-tour-2013/coaching-and-training-programs" target="_blank" title="Coach Rob">Robert Armstrong by Gerry</a>. Robert was looking for someone to train as he often does from time to time.&#0160; Gerry mentioned that I had signed up for the Etape du Tour race and recommend I contact his step brother for some training tips, as he coached him to his first Etape de Race.&#0160; Well be careful what you wish for, because I received more than a few coaching tips.&#0160; I think it was when I mentioned my weight to Rob that he realized I needed more than just a few coaching tips.&#0160; In fact, my challenge was a total life makeover.&#0160; Rob didn’t want to kill my dream of participating in this great race, but he said there was no way I could finish in my current condition and he was genuinely concerned for my long term health.&#0160; Rob didn’t charge me for his services, so he spent a long time qualifying my interest and personal commitment to the transformation plan and it wasn’t an easy process.&#0160; He told me that most people fail because they embark on these journeys for all the wrong reasons. &#0160;I basically had to convince him that I was worth his time, and I must have done a good job, because he took me on.&#0160; So as I said above, be careful what you wish for, because although Coach was supportive, he showed me no mercy.</p> <p>Even though his training program was communicated via email, because he lives in Calgary and I’m in the Toronto area, I felt his encouragement every day. If this was to work he said, there has to be complete honesty between the two of us. Coach sent me new dietary principals that I had to follow without question and he expected I follow it to the letter before we even started on the cycling training program.&#0160; He told me things about myself that were hard to hear, but it was the wake-up call I needed.&#0160; Commitment to my general health, given I was obese was far more important than riding a bike in some race in France.&#0160; But cycling was also the catalyst to get me to the end point. He explained the many health reasons why getting my size under control from my current weight of 245lbs back to my senior high school weight of 170 lbs was important.&#0160; I just thought he was nuts when he suggested I could lose 80lbs in 9 months. </p> <p>Changing my diet was difficult at first because it was based on the healthy foods I rarely ate, like Vegetables, Fruits, Salads, and a healthy balance of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat.&#0160; He also said no alcohol until I was back to a healthy weight.&#0160; &#0160;These were tough choices indeed.&#0160; Changing from a lifetime of self abuse based on bad food choices and avoiding sugars like soda pop &amp; concentrated fruit juices, processed convenient foods, as well as simple carbohydrates was very difficult. These were all the foods that contributed to my weight gain and provided me with the comfort I desired. &#0160;This was a significant change, but after his big speech about commitment to each other, it was tough to let him down, but more important, I wasn’t about to let myself down.</p> <p>The next step was making exercise a daily priority. Coach set up my program in 4 week periods. It started with approximately 7 hours of structured training per week, which progressively got harder and longer as the winter season wore on.&#0160; This was not to say that I didn’t grumble to myself more than a few times and that I was exhausted and tried to convince myself that couldn’t do this.&#0160; Every time that happened I focussed my thoughts knowing the big picture goal: a new me with a new healthy body with a newer outlook on life. Many of my friends witnessed my transformation right in front of their eyes as the excess fat started to melt away. As much as I was seeing and feeling the positive effects of Coach’s training program and dietary principles, I still remained focused on the big goal ahead, which was getting scarier by the minute as the Etape de Tour got closer and closer. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter training" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c35fdc97f970b-800wi" title="Peter training" /></a></p> <p>Since reducing a significant amount of body fat by the time the outdoor season arrived (by March/April I was weighing around 180), my overall riding significantly improved and my ability to climb hills was easier than I ever experienced. In addition to my new found energy, my wife was tossing out all my oversized clothes.&#0160; I had gone from a size extra large in everything I owned, to a size medium. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a medium in anything, but there I was wearing a new skin tight cycling kit 2 to 3 sizes smaller than I did a short 6 months before. I finally started to look like a real cyclist.&#0160; That being said, the other challenge I had to get used to was accepting my own self identity.&#0160; Every time I pasted a mirror or caught my reflection in a window, I didn’t recognize the skinny guy looking back at me.&#0160; And it wasn’t just me, many of my long time friends that I hadn’t seen for months didn’t recognize this new person that remotely looked like the fat guy they once knew.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee7a10da1970d-800wi" title="Peter LeClair 1" /></a></p> <p>I found it strange that when I was obese, no one ever told me I was too fat, but now that I’m a very healthy size, with a BMI of 24, people will tell me all the time that I’m too thin.&#0160; I think we have so many overweight people in our country that used to look like me, we’ve lost track of what a healthy person should look like, because having a healthy weight is no longer “normal” in this country and people feel it’s ok to point out that you don’t look like the rest of the fat population.</p> <p>2012 was a big year for me. In late 2011 I finally met the woman of my dreams whom I was to marry in July prior to going to France for Etape. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a honeymoon and do some cycling at the same time. My wife got to proudly watch me complete my goal of competing in Etape de Tour and only 3 days later climb the epic mountain of Mont Ventoux with a new friend John who was gracious enough to open his home to us for a few days. Thanks to Gerry for taking me out on that ride a couple years ago for without that single act of generosity, who knows who I would be today. You never know where that turn in the road takes you.</p> <p>As I mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to set goals to keep yourself motivated. I love my new life of opportunities and I plan to stay this way.&#0160; I continue to train under the guidance of Coach Rob and have already seen further improvements in my fitness levels. </p> <p><strong>So what’s on my agenda for 2013?</strong></p> <p>I’ve signed up for another stage race in France which takes place in Lac Annecy on July 7th. I’m going to climb the epic mountain of Alpe D’huez (13.7km, 8.1% grade, 21 switchbacks, 1071 meters of climbing). &#0160;And if that isn’t enough, I plan to ride the famous mountain in the heart of Provence, Mt Ventoux, not once, but three times in the same day from the three different start towns. And finally back home I’ll do a couple 160km+ races.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d402cbaef970c-800wi" title="Peter 3" /></a></p> <p>I share the list above not to brag, but to highlight the opportunities that are available to me now that I’ve taken control of my health and made it a priority in my life. I can truly enjoy my passion for cycling. I’ll never go back to my unhealthy self. &#0160;Take it from a guy that was obese and take control of your life, set a goal that scares you to hell, build a plan that includes someone to support and motivate you and most importantly, take action.&#0160; As the Nike slogan goes, “<em>Just do It</em>”.&#0160; Coach would often say to me,“<em>Knowledge is power, but action flicks the switch</em>”.&#0160; Well, I think by now most everyone knows what’s required to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s not rocket science.&#0160; Flick your switch and you too can enjoy an exciting life that isn’t held back by any physical limitations.&#0160; </p> <p>Best of health.....Peter LeClaire.</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee62087c6970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-12-10T23:40:56Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabaff6970cA Simple Trick That Fights Holiday Weight Gainhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-12-11T14:52:33Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Eggnog, shortbread cookies, gingerbread, fruitcake, turkey, so good, but so fattening and it’s everywhere during the holiday season.&#0160; And although we all know a little extra exercise could blast away a few of the extra calories, few of us can spare the time to exercise more, given our family commitments.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Xmascookies" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c-800wi" title="Xmascookies" /></a></p> <p>I’m no exception, in fact this year my wife and I will be travelling to London England to spend Christmas and New Years with our daughter who lives there permanently.&#0160; And she’s already begun baking all my favourite holiday treats, and I fully intend to enjoy the fruits of her labour.&#0160; Given my ambitious 2013 training plans to race in <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route</a>, the hardest cycling sportive in the world, watching my weight from now until August 2013 will be a full time job and I don’t intend to get behind the eight ball before 2013 even begins.</p> <p>It’s no mystery why the average person puts on about a pound or two of permanent weight gain every year between Christmas and New Year’s, according to research. &#0160;And come spring, when that third serving of bread pudding is a distant memory you’ve still got that extra holiday weight on your butt or gut.&#0160; Now, one to two pounds may not sound like that much to worry about, but when you consider it happens year after year for decades, those extra pounds rapidly accumulate over time.</p> <p>That’s why what I’m about to tell you could make the difference between adding to your waistline, or maintaining your current weight even as you enjoy the extra calories, fat and sugar associated with holiday feasting.&#0160; And the best part is it won’t even take up any extra time. You only need to rearrange your daily schedule so you exercise when your body naturally burns more fat.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>And that magic time is…<strong>just before breakfast</strong>.</p> <p><strong>SUPPORTING RESEARCH&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</strong></p> <p>This very valuable advice comes from a study that was conducted in Belgium. For six weeks, all of the healthy participants were put on a <em>high-calorie, high-fat</em> diet that included 30% more calories than they usually ate, with half of those calories coming from fat.&#0160; The study contained three control groups</p> <ol> <li><strong>Group one</strong>: exercised vigorously (biking and running) for 60 to 90 minutes four times each week <em>after</em> consuming a carbohydrate-rich breakfast…and they drank a carbohydrate beverage during their workouts. </li> <li><strong>Group two</strong>: followed the identical exercise regimen, but they worked out <em>before</em> breakfast and they drank only water while exercising. (To keep calorie counts identical between both groups, the before-breakfast exercisers ate that same carb-rich meal and consumed that same carbohydrate drink later in the day.) </li> <li><strong>Group three</strong>: &#0160;followed the same diet but did not exercise at all.</li> <strong>﻿</strong></ol> <p><strong>Results</strong><em>:</em> After six weeks, the non-exercising control group members gained an average of nearly seven pounds, while the group that exercised after breakfast gained about three pounds. However, there was no significant weight gain among those who did their exercise before breakfast.</p> <p>The before-breakfast workout also had other important health benefits. At the start and end of the study, the researchers tested participants’ levels of <em>glucose tolerance</em> and <em>insulin sensitivity</em> —indicators of how well the body is able to use insulin to pull glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for use as energy. Poor glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Again, at the end of the study, the before-breakfast exercisers showed significantly better results on these tests than the non-exercisers and after-breakfast exercisers—and they also had less fat stored in their muscle cells.</p> <p><strong>FAST TO BURN MORE FAT</strong></p> <p>Karen Van Proeyen, PhD, the study’s lead author, explained why the pre-breakfast exercise group did so much better than the post-breakfast exercisers even though everyone was following the same poor diet.</p> <p>She said that during exercise, the body responds to the physical stress by changing the levels of hormones involved in the use of energy, including adrenaline and insulin. Adrenaline stimulates fat-burning, while insulin has the opposite effect. According to Dr. Van Proeyen, when exercise is performed during fasting—e.g., before you’ve eaten anything for the day—adrenaline levels are about two times <em>higher</em> and insulin concentrations are about 10 times <em>lower</em>, as compared with the same exercise performed after eating. This improved ratio between adrenaline and insulin allows the body to burn more fat during the workout.</p> <p><strong>THE BOTTOM LINE</strong></p> <p>During holiday feasting season, set your alarm clock a little earlier and hit the gym before breakfast, or on days when that’s not possible, I suggest, you let about six hours pass between your last meal and your workout—for instance, by eating lunch at noon and then exercising at 6 pm. By making a few simple changes to your schedule, you will be able to enjoy the holiday treats without fighting the battle of the bulge for the remainder of the year.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col Agnel 22 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b-800wi" title="Col Agnel 22 web" /></a></p> <p>Eggnog, shortbread cookies, gingerbread, fruitcake, turkey, so good, but so fattening and it’s everywhere during the holiday season.&#0160; And although we all know a little extra exercise could blast away a few of the extra calories, few of us can spare the time to exercise more, given our family commitments.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Xmascookies" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3eabb985970c-800wi" title="Xmascookies" /></a></p> <p>I’m no exception, in fact this year my wife and I will be travelling to London England to spend Christmas and New Years with our daughter who lives there permanently.&#0160; And she’s already begun baking all my favourite holiday treats, and I fully intend to enjoy the fruits of her labour.&#0160; Given my ambitious 2013 training plans to race in <a href="http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route</a>, the hardest cycling sportive in the world, watching my weight from now until August 2013 will be a full time job and I don’t intend to get behind the eight ball before 2013 even begins.</p> <p>It’s no mystery why the average person puts on about a pound or two of permanent weight gain every year between Christmas and New Year’s, according to research. &#0160;And come spring, when that third serving of bread pudding is a distant memory you’ve still got that extra holiday weight on your butt or gut.&#0160; Now, one to two pounds may not sound like that much to worry about, but when you consider it happens year after year for decades, those extra pounds rapidly accumulate over time.</p> <p>That’s why what I’m about to tell you could make the difference between adding to your waistline, or maintaining your current weight even as you enjoy the extra calories, fat and sugar associated with holiday feasting.&#0160; And the best part is it won’t even take up any extra time. You only need to rearrange your daily schedule so you exercise when your body naturally burns more fat.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>And that magic time is…<strong>just before breakfast</strong>.</p> <p><strong>SUPPORTING RESEARCH&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</strong></p> <p>This very valuable advice comes from a study that was conducted in Belgium. For six weeks, all of the healthy participants were put on a <em>high-calorie, high-fat</em> diet that included 30% more calories than they usually ate, with half of those calories coming from fat.&#0160; The study contained three control groups</p> <ol> <li><strong>Group one</strong>: exercised vigorously (biking and running) for 60 to 90 minutes four times each week <em>after</em> consuming a carbohydrate-rich breakfast…and they drank a carbohydrate beverage during their workouts. </li> <li><strong>Group two</strong>: followed the identical exercise regimen, but they worked out <em>before</em> breakfast and they drank only water while exercising. (To keep calorie counts identical between both groups, the before-breakfast exercisers ate that same carb-rich meal and consumed that same carbohydrate drink later in the day.) </li> <li><strong>Group three</strong>: &#0160;followed the same diet but did not exercise at all.</li> <strong>﻿</strong></ol> <p><strong>Results</strong><em>:</em> After six weeks, the non-exercising control group members gained an average of nearly seven pounds, while the group that exercised after breakfast gained about three pounds. However, there was no significant weight gain among those who did their exercise before breakfast.</p> <p>The before-breakfast workout also had other important health benefits. At the start and end of the study, the researchers tested participants’ levels of <em>glucose tolerance</em> and <em>insulin sensitivity</em> —indicators of how well the body is able to use insulin to pull glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for use as energy. Poor glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Again, at the end of the study, the before-breakfast exercisers showed significantly better results on these tests than the non-exercisers and after-breakfast exercisers—and they also had less fat stored in their muscle cells.</p> <p><strong>FAST TO BURN MORE FAT</strong></p> <p>Karen Van Proeyen, PhD, the study’s lead author, explained why the pre-breakfast exercise group did so much better than the post-breakfast exercisers even though everyone was following the same poor diet.</p> <p>She said that during exercise, the body responds to the physical stress by changing the levels of hormones involved in the use of energy, including adrenaline and insulin. Adrenaline stimulates fat-burning, while insulin has the opposite effect. According to Dr. Van Proeyen, when exercise is performed during fasting—e.g., before you’ve eaten anything for the day—adrenaline levels are about two times <em>higher</em> and insulin concentrations are about 10 times <em>lower</em>, as compared with the same exercise performed after eating. This improved ratio between adrenaline and insulin allows the body to burn more fat during the workout.</p> <p><strong>THE BOTTOM LINE</strong></p> <p>During holiday feasting season, set your alarm clock a little earlier and hit the gym before breakfast, or on days when that’s not possible, I suggest, you let about six hours pass between your last meal and your workout—for instance, by eating lunch at noon and then exercising at 6 pm. By making a few simple changes to your schedule, you will be able to enjoy the holiday treats without fighting the battle of the bulge for the remainder of the year.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col Agnel 22 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c347cb811970b-800wi" title="Col Agnel 22 web" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee5fb3462970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-12-06T17:50:53Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c34576316970bAlzheimer's - don't let it steal your lifehttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-12-06T17:50:53Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Last week my uncle died and his funeral was held on Monday.&#0160; He lived in Edinburgh Scotland, so I wasn’t that close to him as I’ve lived in Canada all my life and we’ve only met a few times.&#0160; Even still, it was a sad day when I received this news.&#0160; I was further saddened when I heard my Aunt wasn’t able to attend his funeral because she suffers from Alzheimer’s and it would have been too confusing for her.&#0160; Alzheimer’s seems to run in my family, as two other Aunts of mine, who have both since passed away, also had&#0160;this disease.&#0160; </p> <p>When it’s all said and done, life is nothing more than a collection of experiences and memories.&#0160; All your worldly possessions don’t add up to much when you can’t recall the life you lived.&#0160; This horrible disease robs people of their most precious asset...their mind.&#0160; For me, the most frightening consequence of aging is the possible loss of my mental faculties. Utter the phrase “Alzheimer’s disease” – especially to someone like me who’s seen three family members touched by it – and people’s expressions tend to get a bit strained.</p> <p>Although Alzheimer’s can affect younger people, it’s the most common cause of memory loss among the elderly. With the first baby boomers reaching age 65 in 2012, healthcare experts are predicting that many citizens will spend their final years either suffering from Alzheimer’s or caring for loved ones who have it.&#0160;</p> <p>Alzheimer’s is currently the only condition among the top ten causes of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even delayed. While death rates for other major diseases like stroke, heart disease, HIV, and several cancers – have declined in recent years or at least remaining constant, those with Alzheimer’s continue to climb at an alarming rate. Despite this grim trend, in 2011 the National Institutes of Health spent about one-tenth as much for Alzheimer’s research as it did on cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS.&#0160;</p> <p>Given the lack of focus and funding for this mental health illness, it’s going to be a while before any meaningful treatment for Alzheimer’s is forthcoming.&#0160; Like I’ve said many times before, what you do today has a profound impact on your health in the distant future, and this doesn’t only apply to your physical health, but also your mental health.&#0160; So you might want to take care of your brain today to avoid being a statistic in the future.&#0160; I suggest the following:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Avoid unhealthy brain habits</strong>: Stop smoking, avoid recreational drugs and limit alcohol consumption to a maximum of one (women) or two (men) drinks daily. Smoking damages the blood vessels that feed your brain, and substance abuse including social alcohol consumption destroys neurons that simply cannot be replaced.</li> <li><strong>Eat a healthy diet</strong>: When planning your meals, rely heavily on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and nuts. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds that are essential for neurotransmitter synthesis, healthy nerves and robust circulation. Limit red meats, which can be artery-clogging and increase oily, cold water fish, which is excellent for normal brain function.</li> <li><strong>Exercise your body</strong>: 60 minutes of exercise daily not only protects your heart, strengthens your muscles and builds strong bones; it also helps delay the onset of dementia like no other medication. You don’t have to take up triathlons either, simple walking will do.&#0160; Walking improves balance, aerobic conditioning and cerebral blood flow.</li> <li><strong>Exercise your brain</strong>: A 2009 study in the journal Neurology demonstrated that people who read, write, learn a new language, do crossword puzzles, play board games or cards, play musical instruments or regularly participate in group discussions are less likely to develop dementia. The study’s authors reported that every mentally stimulating activity you undertake will delay the onset of dementia. Besides wanting to retire to the South of France where the ability to speak French is necessary, learning this language to exercise my brain is the second reason I picked up the Rosetta Stone program.&#0160; Who knows if I’ll be able to speak French fluently, maybe not, but it sure is fun learning and like physical exercise helping my heart, I know learning French is helping my brain.</li> <li><strong>Address your medical issues</strong>: If you have high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high lipid levels, or diabetes, or if you’re packing on more body fat than you should, see your doctor or medical provider to get these problems addressed immediately. Uncontrolled hypertension or chronically elevated blood glucose or lipid levels wreak havoc on your brain and contribute to memory loss. Studies show that people who are obese during their youth and middle age are 40% to 80% more likely to develop dementia than their healthy-weight counterparts.</li> </ol> <p>More of us are living longer these days, and there’s no reason to believe you won’t be one of them. Making smart lifestyle choices right now just might keep you sharp-witted well into your twilight years.&#0160; Don’t let poor lifestyle habits today rob you of the only thing of true value in your future....your lifelong memories.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alps web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c-800wi" title="Alps web" /></a></p> <p>Last week my uncle died and his funeral was held on Monday.&#0160; He lived in Edinburgh Scotland, so I wasn’t that close to him as I’ve lived in Canada all my life and we’ve only met a few times.&#0160; Even still, it was a sad day when I received this news.&#0160; I was further saddened when I heard my Aunt wasn’t able to attend his funeral because she suffers from Alzheimer’s and it would have been too confusing for her.&#0160; Alzheimer’s seems to run in my family, as two other Aunts of mine, who have both since passed away, also had&#0160;this disease.&#0160; </p> <p>When it’s all said and done, life is nothing more than a collection of experiences and memories.&#0160; All your worldly possessions don’t add up to much when you can’t recall the life you lived.&#0160; This horrible disease robs people of their most precious asset...their mind.&#0160; For me, the most frightening consequence of aging is the possible loss of my mental faculties. Utter the phrase “Alzheimer’s disease” – especially to someone like me who’s seen three family members touched by it – and people’s expressions tend to get a bit strained.</p> <p>Although Alzheimer’s can affect younger people, it’s the most common cause of memory loss among the elderly. With the first baby boomers reaching age 65 in 2012, healthcare experts are predicting that many citizens will spend their final years either suffering from Alzheimer’s or caring for loved ones who have it.&#0160;</p> <p>Alzheimer’s is currently the only condition among the top ten causes of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even delayed. While death rates for other major diseases like stroke, heart disease, HIV, and several cancers – have declined in recent years or at least remaining constant, those with Alzheimer’s continue to climb at an alarming rate. Despite this grim trend, in 2011 the National Institutes of Health spent about one-tenth as much for Alzheimer’s research as it did on cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS.&#0160;</p> <p>Given the lack of focus and funding for this mental health illness, it’s going to be a while before any meaningful treatment for Alzheimer’s is forthcoming.&#0160; Like I’ve said many times before, what you do today has a profound impact on your health in the distant future, and this doesn’t only apply to your physical health, but also your mental health.&#0160; So you might want to take care of your brain today to avoid being a statistic in the future.&#0160; I suggest the following:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Avoid unhealthy brain habits</strong>: Stop smoking, avoid recreational drugs and limit alcohol consumption to a maximum of one (women) or two (men) drinks daily. Smoking damages the blood vessels that feed your brain, and substance abuse including social alcohol consumption destroys neurons that simply cannot be replaced.</li> <li><strong>Eat a healthy diet</strong>: When planning your meals, rely heavily on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and nuts. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds that are essential for neurotransmitter synthesis, healthy nerves and robust circulation. Limit red meats, which can be artery-clogging and increase oily, cold water fish, which is excellent for normal brain function.</li> <li><strong>Exercise your body</strong>: 60 minutes of exercise daily not only protects your heart, strengthens your muscles and builds strong bones; it also helps delay the onset of dementia like no other medication. You don’t have to take up triathlons either, simple walking will do.&#0160; Walking improves balance, aerobic conditioning and cerebral blood flow.</li> <li><strong>Exercise your brain</strong>: A 2009 study in the journal Neurology demonstrated that people who read, write, learn a new language, do crossword puzzles, play board games or cards, play musical instruments or regularly participate in group discussions are less likely to develop dementia. The study’s authors reported that every mentally stimulating activity you undertake will delay the onset of dementia. Besides wanting to retire to the South of France where the ability to speak French is necessary, learning this language to exercise my brain is the second reason I picked up the Rosetta Stone program.&#0160; Who knows if I’ll be able to speak French fluently, maybe not, but it sure is fun learning and like physical exercise helping my heart, I know learning French is helping my brain.</li> <li><strong>Address your medical issues</strong>: If you have high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high lipid levels, or diabetes, or if you’re packing on more body fat than you should, see your doctor or medical provider to get these problems addressed immediately. Uncontrolled hypertension or chronically elevated blood glucose or lipid levels wreak havoc on your brain and contribute to memory loss. Studies show that people who are obese during their youth and middle age are 40% to 80% more likely to develop dementia than their healthy-weight counterparts.</li> </ol> <p>More of us are living longer these days, and there’s no reason to believe you won’t be one of them. Making smart lifestyle choices right now just might keep you sharp-witted well into your twilight years.&#0160; Don’t let poor lifestyle habits today rob you of the only thing of true value in your future....your lifelong memories.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alps web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e8648fe970c-800wi" title="Alps web" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee5cb7f2f970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-12-01T09:06:24Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017ee5cb2a91970dGood information, Wrong interpretationhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-12-01T09:06:24Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>A good friend of mine once said that people can only hear the information that supports their own belief systems.&#0160; We see this all the time.&#0160; It’s why there’s polarizing opinions when it comes to topics like politics, or the existence of a God.&#0160; Regardless of the information, people will only hear what justifies the continuation of their own beliefs, even when the actual facts beg to differ.</p> <p>I thought about this as I read the results of a recent study published by the British medical journal, “Heart”. This study was recently featured in articles within the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323330604578145462264024472.html?KEYWORDS=A+red+flag+for+aging+endurance+athletes" target="_blank" title="WSJ">Wall Street Journal</a> and the Globe and Mail.&#0160; The study suggests that people that run too fast, for too far, for too many decades, may find themselves running to their early and ultimate “finish line”.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dad Running In Greece" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b-800wi" title="Dad Running In Greece" /></a><br />My 87 year old father running in Greece</p> <p>In the shadow of a national health crisis, where overweight and obese people represent the majority of the population, and citizens with chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, CODP, Cardiac Disease and various forms of Cancer are reaching epidemic proportions, I’m concerned that a health illiterate public will interpret the results of this study as an excuse NOT to exercise.&#0160; They will read the headline in the paper that says, “One Running Shoe in the Grave”. &#0160;As a result, this will fuel the belief system of many that if daily exercise isn’t good for runners,&#0160;so why bother exercising at all.&#0160;</p> <p>In actual fact, the study involved 52,600 subjects that were followed for three (3) decades, but what was glossed over was the fact that the runners in this group had an overall&#0160;19% lower death rate than the non-runners, and within the running group only the runners that ran longer than 40kms/week and faster than 13km/hour lost their mortality advantage.&#0160; </p> <p>We’ve seen the impact of this kind of reporting from the past.&#0160; A study from a few decades ago suggested drinking a glass of red wine a day is good for your heart health.&#0160; Now we have a culture of <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Social Alcoholics">social alcoholics </a>who justify two to three drinks a day because it’s good for their heart health, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.&#0160; Let&#39;s be clear, alcohol should not be part of a person&#39;s health habbits.</p> <p>We live in a world where people have limited attention spans and are bombarded with catchy buy lines and punchy sound bites; the headline of this running report should have read, “<em>Long term study suggests that life-long runners enjoy a lower death rate than non-runners</em>”.&#0160; Just like the headline of the wine report should have said, “<em>Study finds that consuming more than one drink a day for women and two for men, leads to negative health consequences</em>”.&#0160; </p> <p>We now have a population that takes little to no interest in their personal health until they’re told by their doctor that they have a serious, possibly life threatening chronic disease and that&#39;s the moment they decide it&#39;s time to practice positive health practices.&#0160; And the sad part is many of these situations are entirely preventable.&#0160; </p> <p>How are we supposed to motivate our children to be active and make healthy life choices when they watch their parents make poor choices?&#0160; Media that report the findings of studies like this recent running study have a responsibility to be mindful of the role they play in the health of the public.&#0160; Our hospitals and long term care facilities are full of people that got there because they were inactive and made poor lifelong health choices.&#0160; </p> <p>This study contains valuable information for a very small number of aging runners that push the performance envelope in their training and racing.&#0160; These runners should consider the consequences of these findings and adjust their running programs accordingly.&#0160; </p> <p>Finally, I’d like to report that my father who is pictured above turns 88 next year and has been walk/joggng 8kms to 10kms every day, (or about 56+km a week) for years and only stopped racing marathons when he turned 79.&#0160; While he stills enjoys excellent health, most of his friends and family that lived a sedentary life, are either ill, immobile, or dead. &#0160;I guess he and the many seniors like him are the exceptions to this study.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - Rob marathon web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c-800wi" title="Ironman - Rob marathon web" /></a></p> <p>A good friend of mine once said that people can only hear the information that supports their own belief systems.&#0160; We see this all the time.&#0160; It’s why there’s polarizing opinions when it comes to topics like politics, or the existence of a God.&#0160; Regardless of the information, people will only hear what justifies the continuation of their own beliefs, even when the actual facts beg to differ.</p> <p>I thought about this as I read the results of a recent study published by the British medical journal, “Heart”. This study was recently featured in articles within the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323330604578145462264024472.html?KEYWORDS=A+red+flag+for+aging+endurance+athletes" target="_blank" title="WSJ">Wall Street Journal</a> and the Globe and Mail.&#0160; The study suggests that people that run too fast, for too far, for too many decades, may find themselves running to their early and ultimate “finish line”.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dad Running In Greece" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3427a65e970b-800wi" title="Dad Running In Greece" /></a><br />My 87 year old father running in Greece</p> <p>In the shadow of a national health crisis, where overweight and obese people represent the majority of the population, and citizens with chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, CODP, Cardiac Disease and various forms of Cancer are reaching epidemic proportions, I’m concerned that a health illiterate public will interpret the results of this study as an excuse NOT to exercise.&#0160; They will read the headline in the paper that says, “One Running Shoe in the Grave”. &#0160;As a result, this will fuel the belief system of many that if daily exercise isn’t good for runners,&#0160;so why bother exercising at all.&#0160;</p> <p>In actual fact, the study involved 52,600 subjects that were followed for three (3) decades, but what was glossed over was the fact that the runners in this group had an overall&#0160;19% lower death rate than the non-runners, and within the running group only the runners that ran longer than 40kms/week and faster than 13km/hour lost their mortality advantage.&#0160; </p> <p>We’ve seen the impact of this kind of reporting from the past.&#0160; A study from a few decades ago suggested drinking a glass of red wine a day is good for your heart health.&#0160; Now we have a culture of <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Social Alcoholics">social alcoholics </a>who justify two to three drinks a day because it’s good for their heart health, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.&#0160; Let&#39;s be clear, alcohol should not be part of a person&#39;s health habbits.</p> <p>We live in a world where people have limited attention spans and are bombarded with catchy buy lines and punchy sound bites; the headline of this running report should have read, “<em>Long term study suggests that life-long runners enjoy a lower death rate than non-runners</em>”.&#0160; Just like the headline of the wine report should have said, “<em>Study finds that consuming more than one drink a day for women and two for men, leads to negative health consequences</em>”.&#0160; </p> <p>We now have a population that takes little to no interest in their personal health until they’re told by their doctor that they have a serious, possibly life threatening chronic disease and that&#39;s the moment they decide it&#39;s time to practice positive health practices.&#0160; And the sad part is many of these situations are entirely preventable.&#0160; </p> <p>How are we supposed to motivate our children to be active and make healthy life choices when they watch their parents make poor choices?&#0160; Media that report the findings of studies like this recent running study have a responsibility to be mindful of the role they play in the health of the public.&#0160; Our hospitals and long term care facilities are full of people that got there because they were inactive and made poor lifelong health choices.&#0160; </p> <p>This study contains valuable information for a very small number of aging runners that push the performance envelope in their training and racing.&#0160; These runners should consider the consequences of these findings and adjust their running programs accordingly.&#0160; </p> <p>Finally, I’d like to report that my father who is pictured above turns 88 next year and has been walk/joggng 8kms to 10kms every day, (or about 56+km a week) for years and only stopped racing marathons when he turned 79.&#0160; While he stills enjoys excellent health, most of his friends and family that lived a sedentary life, are either ill, immobile, or dead. &#0160;I guess he and the many seniors like him are the exceptions to this study.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - Rob marathon web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3e568b13970c-800wi" title="Ironman - Rob marathon web" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee4d9c52d970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-11-07T23:23:46Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c332d6c82970bPainful Lessons!http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-11-07T23:23:45Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>For those of you under the age of 18, read no further because this probably doesn&#39;t concern you yet, but it will eventually.&#0160;</p> <p>I think it’s safe to say that the rest of us &quot;older&quot; types would love to hang onto our youth for as long as possible.&#0160; Look at me, I have this crazy goal of&#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/09/dont-live-a-littlelearn-to-live-a-lot.html" target="_blank" title="Live a Lot">breaking world cycling records for the &quot;over 100&quot; age catagory</a> set by Frenchman, Robert Marchand.&#0160; While the young want to be older, the older will do just about anything to remain young.&#0160; Just observe how much money people spend to maintain their youthful appearance, or simply remember&#0160;how you felt the last time the&#0160;bar tender asked you for ID to confirm you were of legal drinking age.&#0160; I can tell you, this hasn&#39;t happened to me in decades, but while&#0160;riding a bike with my smooth shaved legs, behind cool-lookin glasses, under a helmet, it&#39;s always a boost to my ego to see the reaction of a cyclist that can&#39;t keep up when he realizes that&#0160;I&#39;m a couple decades older than him. </p> <p>As a result of our quest to remain young, or at least act younger than the numbers on the calendar indicate, we attempt some pretty crazy activities that should only be considered in our more agile and flexible youth.&#0160; </p> <p>This week, Dr Les describes how he found himself pushing the age and ego envelop by attempting to relive his youth while being towed behind a boat at high speed with very predictable consequences.&#0160; He&#39;s&#0160;offered&#0160;some learned lessons from this experience that we should all consider so we don’t suffer his fate (well maybe everyone, except me).&#0160; But because he knows there’s people out there like me that will completely ignore his sound advice, he’s provided an excellent summary of&#0160;how&#0160;to recover from unnecessary injuries&#0160;so we can get back to our active lifestyles, and enjoy some of that lost youth we once took for granted.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride…..Rob&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Cornering EWeb" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b" height="203" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b-800wi" title="Cornering EWeb" width="291" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Painful Lessons!</strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Les Davidson</p> <p>Learning is a lifelong process. It is often deliberate, but can also occur by chance. There are three basic ways that we learn: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Direct instruction</strong>: A passive process where the “sage is on the stage” used in schools and universities (teaching) and at church (preaching). </li> <li><strong>Inquiry based</strong>: An active process where we ask questions and learn through the answers, often recognized as the Socratic Method. </li> <li><strong>Experience based</strong>: This is learning by trial and error. It is an active process of making mistakes and often failing. It is usually the most difficult and painful way to learn. </li> </ol> <p>Other than seven years of post-secondary education, most of my learning is experience based: making mistakes and experiencing failure. Interestingly, this is thought to be one of the best methods for learning and retention. So why then do I seem to need repeated lessons? </p> <p>My most recent lesson began on the last warm, sunny afternoon of the season with a poorly executed jump on the wakeboard. I should have known better than to tempt fate. After wakeboarding the day before, I said to my wife Kerry, “That was an awesome last ride of the season- I feel sixteen!” I have a long history, whether when skiing, playing rugby, mountain biking or wakeboarding, of feeling invincible then pushing my limits. I justify the pain by telling myself (and everyone around me) about how great I feel and how well I performed. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Wake Boarding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c-800wi" title="Wake Boarding" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I wasn’t planning on riding the wakeboard again that late-summer day. I was a bit fatigued and satisfied with my efforts from the day before. But the joy I get from skimming over the waves along with some friendly competition with my 16-year-old son trumped any sound judgment. I landed a bit forward and as I caught myself, I felt my left hamstring give a sharp tug. I needed help removing the board and getting into the boat! I had torn a portion of my lateral hamstring. The next couple of weeks doing chiropractic adjustments on my clients were tough! </p> <p>Enough with the self-flagellation! I would like to share the lessons I learned from being on the opposite side of the treatment table. </p> <p><strong>Life Lessons: </strong></p> <ol> <li>Listen to your inner voice. I knew I shouldn’t have attempted the big wake as I wasn&#39;t riding well but I ignored that voice inside my head! </li> <li>Live with humility. I admit to being a show-off. </li> <li>Live with gratitude. Be thankful to be blessed with good health and be pain free. It can change in an instant. I’m sure many of you can relate. Unfortunately, we don’t get a rewind button in life. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Lessons of Healing: </strong></p> <p>Intellectually, most of us understand the principles of healing, but following through on the principles can be a challenge. Here is what I tell my patients. </p> <ol> <li>Your body does the healing. Drugs, surgery, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments or therapeutic modalities still rely on your body’s inner wisdom for healing. Most of us would like to download this to our health care provider. </li> <li>It takes time to heal. We are busy and injuries are inconvenient but healing takes time. Give yourself time to rest and recover. </li> <li>Healing is an adaptive response of your body. For example: a chiropractic adjustment corrects joint dysfunction and stimulates the nervous system. After an adjustment, we want to feel instantly better but the healing occurs from the adaptation to the adjustment and not at the exact moment of adjustment (although there might be immediate relief). </li> <li>Healing is a holistic process. Being injured will drain your energy, challenge your emotions&#0160;and leave you feeling disconnected. The more supportive and nurturing your environment, the more resources your body can marshal for healing. Even though injury may involve a specific tissue or region, having a high level of overall health and a supportive group of family and friends will promote faster healing. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Strategies: </strong></p> <p>As a health care professional, I recognize that there are many things that patients can do to promote recovery from an injury. In other words: What you do for yourself between visits does matter! </p> <ol> <li><strong>Rest</strong>: Complete rest may be necessary in the initial hours or days after an injury. </li> <li><strong>Reduce inflammation and manage the pain</strong>: Initially you may need pharmaceuticals. During the first four days after the wakeboarding incident, I used 6 doses of Naproxen, an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. I also recommend that you introduce more natural methods such as icing the injured area, using the naturopathic lotion Traumeel, and supplementing with Omega3 oils and Vitamin C. </li> <li><strong>Compression or support</strong>: The use of tensor bandages, casts, kinesio-tape or prefabbed supports can aid the injured tissue. For me, wearing a neoprene compression short and using a tensor bandage helped. </li> <li><strong>Pro-inflammatories</strong>: Decrease or eliminate your consumption of pro-inflammatory foods such as alcohol and sugar. </li> <li><strong>Choose a consistent and comprehensive treatment plan</strong>: It is important to have a thorough examination and diagnosis. Communication between your health care providers is important. I informally discussed my injury with a friend who specializes in sports medicine and then increased my chiropractic adjustment frequency. Acupuncture, massage and interferential current also helped my soft tissue injury. </li> <li><strong>Active rest</strong>: Active rest is the initial return to activity when you move the body to promote circulation. Circulation brings nutrients to the injured tissue, reduces the swelling and removes the waste associated with repair. This can be accomplished with aided walking - using a cane or crutch or walking in the pool, as I chose to do. </li> <li><strong>Replace your activity</strong>: When I treat a patient who finds their preferred activity painful, they usually do one of two things - persist with the preferred activity or do nothing. Movement is such an important component of healing that you have to find an alternate way to be active until you can return to pain-free participation. I started with pool running, then added swimming and now am back to riding my indoor bike. </li> </ol> <p><strong>And finally,</strong> </p> <p>I learned that my questions, challenges and fears about injuries are just the same as the people that I treat in my clinic each week. Dealing with symptoms similar to what many of my patients experience has increased my empathy for them. In the final analysis, however, it is evident that I have more <strong>patients</strong> than I have <strong>patience</strong>!</p> <p>Adding life to your years.... Dr. Les</p> <p>For those of you under the age of 18, read no further because this probably doesn&#39;t concern you yet, but it will eventually.&#0160;</p> <p>I think it’s safe to say that the rest of us &quot;older&quot; types would love to hang onto our youth for as long as possible.&#0160; Look at me, I have this crazy goal of&#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/09/dont-live-a-littlelearn-to-live-a-lot.html" target="_blank" title="Live a Lot">breaking world cycling records for the &quot;over 100&quot; age catagory</a> set by Frenchman, Robert Marchand.&#0160; While the young want to be older, the older will do just about anything to remain young.&#0160; Just observe how much money people spend to maintain their youthful appearance, or simply remember&#0160;how you felt the last time the&#0160;bar tender asked you for ID to confirm you were of legal drinking age.&#0160; I can tell you, this hasn&#39;t happened to me in decades, but while&#0160;riding a bike with my smooth shaved legs, behind cool-lookin glasses, under a helmet, it&#39;s always a boost to my ego to see the reaction of a cyclist that can&#39;t keep up when he realizes that&#0160;I&#39;m a couple decades older than him. </p> <p>As a result of our quest to remain young, or at least act younger than the numbers on the calendar indicate, we attempt some pretty crazy activities that should only be considered in our more agile and flexible youth.&#0160; </p> <p>This week, Dr Les describes how he found himself pushing the age and ego envelop by attempting to relive his youth while being towed behind a boat at high speed with very predictable consequences.&#0160; He&#39;s&#0160;offered&#0160;some learned lessons from this experience that we should all consider so we don’t suffer his fate (well maybe everyone, except me).&#0160; But because he knows there’s people out there like me that will completely ignore his sound advice, he’s provided an excellent summary of&#0160;how&#0160;to recover from unnecessary injuries&#0160;so we can get back to our active lifestyles, and enjoy some of that lost youth we once took for granted.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride…..Rob&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Cornering EWeb" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b" height="203" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3335cf59970b-800wi" title="Cornering EWeb" width="291" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Painful Lessons!</strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Les Davidson</p> <p>Learning is a lifelong process. It is often deliberate, but can also occur by chance. There are three basic ways that we learn: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Direct instruction</strong>: A passive process where the “sage is on the stage” used in schools and universities (teaching) and at church (preaching). </li> <li><strong>Inquiry based</strong>: An active process where we ask questions and learn through the answers, often recognized as the Socratic Method. </li> <li><strong>Experience based</strong>: This is learning by trial and error. It is an active process of making mistakes and often failing. It is usually the most difficult and painful way to learn. </li> </ol> <p>Other than seven years of post-secondary education, most of my learning is experience based: making mistakes and experiencing failure. Interestingly, this is thought to be one of the best methods for learning and retention. So why then do I seem to need repeated lessons? </p> <p>My most recent lesson began on the last warm, sunny afternoon of the season with a poorly executed jump on the wakeboard. I should have known better than to tempt fate. After wakeboarding the day before, I said to my wife Kerry, “That was an awesome last ride of the season- I feel sixteen!” I have a long history, whether when skiing, playing rugby, mountain biking or wakeboarding, of feeling invincible then pushing my limits. I justify the pain by telling myself (and everyone around me) about how great I feel and how well I performed. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Wake Boarding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3d6443a5970c-800wi" title="Wake Boarding" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I wasn’t planning on riding the wakeboard again that late-summer day. I was a bit fatigued and satisfied with my efforts from the day before. But the joy I get from skimming over the waves along with some friendly competition with my 16-year-old son trumped any sound judgment. I landed a bit forward and as I caught myself, I felt my left hamstring give a sharp tug. I needed help removing the board and getting into the boat! I had torn a portion of my lateral hamstring. The next couple of weeks doing chiropractic adjustments on my clients were tough! </p> <p>Enough with the self-flagellation! I would like to share the lessons I learned from being on the opposite side of the treatment table. </p> <p><strong>Life Lessons: </strong></p> <ol> <li>Listen to your inner voice. I knew I shouldn’t have attempted the big wake as I wasn&#39;t riding well but I ignored that voice inside my head! </li> <li>Live with humility. I admit to being a show-off. </li> <li>Live with gratitude. Be thankful to be blessed with good health and be pain free. It can change in an instant. I’m sure many of you can relate. Unfortunately, we don’t get a rewind button in life. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Lessons of Healing: </strong></p> <p>Intellectually, most of us understand the principles of healing, but following through on the principles can be a challenge. Here is what I tell my patients. </p> <ol> <li>Your body does the healing. Drugs, surgery, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments or therapeutic modalities still rely on your body’s inner wisdom for healing. Most of us would like to download this to our health care provider. </li> <li>It takes time to heal. We are busy and injuries are inconvenient but healing takes time. Give yourself time to rest and recover. </li> <li>Healing is an adaptive response of your body. For example: a chiropractic adjustment corrects joint dysfunction and stimulates the nervous system. After an adjustment, we want to feel instantly better but the healing occurs from the adaptation to the adjustment and not at the exact moment of adjustment (although there might be immediate relief). </li> <li>Healing is a holistic process. Being injured will drain your energy, challenge your emotions&#0160;and leave you feeling disconnected. The more supportive and nurturing your environment, the more resources your body can marshal for healing. Even though injury may involve a specific tissue or region, having a high level of overall health and a supportive group of family and friends will promote faster healing. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Strategies: </strong></p> <p>As a health care professional, I recognize that there are many things that patients can do to promote recovery from an injury. In other words: What you do for yourself between visits does matter! </p> <ol> <li><strong>Rest</strong>: Complete rest may be necessary in the initial hours or days after an injury. </li> <li><strong>Reduce inflammation and manage the pain</strong>: Initially you may need pharmaceuticals. During the first four days after the wakeboarding incident, I used 6 doses of Naproxen, an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. I also recommend that you introduce more natural methods such as icing the injured area, using the naturopathic lotion Traumeel, and supplementing with Omega3 oils and Vitamin C. </li> <li><strong>Compression or support</strong>: The use of tensor bandages, casts, kinesio-tape or prefabbed supports can aid the injured tissue. For me, wearing a neoprene compression short and using a tensor bandage helped. </li> <li><strong>Pro-inflammatories</strong>: Decrease or eliminate your consumption of pro-inflammatory foods such as alcohol and sugar. </li> <li><strong>Choose a consistent and comprehensive treatment plan</strong>: It is important to have a thorough examination and diagnosis. Communication between your health care providers is important. I informally discussed my injury with a friend who specializes in sports medicine and then increased my chiropractic adjustment frequency. Acupuncture, massage and interferential current also helped my soft tissue injury. </li> <li><strong>Active rest</strong>: Active rest is the initial return to activity when you move the body to promote circulation. Circulation brings nutrients to the injured tissue, reduces the swelling and removes the waste associated with repair. This can be accomplished with aided walking - using a cane or crutch or walking in the pool, as I chose to do. </li> <li><strong>Replace your activity</strong>: When I treat a patient who finds their preferred activity painful, they usually do one of two things - persist with the preferred activity or do nothing. Movement is such an important component of healing that you have to find an alternate way to be active until you can return to pain-free participation. I started with pool running, then added swimming and now am back to riding my indoor bike. </li> </ol> <p><strong>And finally,</strong> </p> <p>I learned that my questions, challenges and fears about injuries are just the same as the people that I treat in my clinic each week. Dealing with symptoms similar to what many of my patients experience has increased my empathy for them. In the final analysis, however, it is evident that I have more <strong>patients</strong> than I have <strong>patience</strong>!</p> <p>Adding life to your years.... Dr. Les</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017ee43dadeb970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-10-17T23:36:26Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c32992b71970bLance Armstrong: Fall from Gracehttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-10-17T23:36:26Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>As an avid endurance athlete for most of my life, I’ve followed Lance Armstrong’s rise, and most recently his fall from super stardom after the United States Anti Doping Agency (<a href="http://www.usada.org/?gclid=CJ6Tm9jyiLMCFWThQgodm08AWw" target="_blank" title="USADA">USADA</a>) presented their evidence that undeniably proves that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong" target="_blank" title="LA">Lance Armstrong</a> was a cheat and a liar for the majority of his athletic career. His story of returning to the highest level of cycling competition after his bout with cancer has always been suspicious to me.&#0160; I’ve had many spirited discussions with people that believe in this miracle and were critical of my position that he has always been a drug doping cheat . &#0160;That being said, I too wanted to believe in his “Cinderella” story, but the facts simply didn’t add up.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="LieStrong" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b-800wi" title="LieStrong" /></a></p> <p>It wasn’t until almost all of the other top pro riders that Lance competed head to head against starting testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) and blood doping that I realized Lance’s story was no Cinderella miracle, but simply a case of a good athlete and an even better cheat.&#0160; </p> <p>For those of you that want to understand how the biggest fraud in sport history got away with it for so many years, read this article by <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/10/analysis/no-armstrong-never-tested-positive-but-how_261616" target="_blank" title="Velo News">Velo News</a> that summarizes the 200 page report released by the USADA last week.</p> <p>I’m an advocate for health and wellness, and it is my hope that I make personal lifestyle choices that will maximize the quality of my life and the lives of others.&#0160; Lance Armstrong has been hiding behind a similar life purpose through his LiveStrong charity and his personal battle with Testicular cancer.&#0160; Unfortunately he was deceiving his fans, and the general public that were captured by this amazing story of determination and willpower, but worst of all; he deceived the cancer community.&#0160; Because of Lance’s involvement with the LiveStrong cancer charity (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/lance-armstrong-livestrong_n_1973097.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&amp;utm_campaign=101712&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=NewsEntry&amp;utm_term=Daily%20Brief" target="_blank" title="Huff Post">Note: as of Oct 17 Lance stepped down as Chairman</a>), he’s not just disappointed his cycling fans, but he’s knocked the wind out of the sails of the kid that’s fighting Leukemia, or the single mother that’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, or the dad that has to deal with Testicular cancer, all who looked up to him as a source of hope and inspiration. &#0160;</p> <p>The “<a href="http://cyclinginvestigation.usada.org/" target="_blank" title="USDA - Reasoned Decision">Reasoned Decision</a>” released by the USADA, which I read in its entirety, describes the actions and behaviour of a despicable man, whose own self interests trumped all his decisions and would aggressively attack anyone that got in his way, including his closest friends, teammates, and individuals that remotely questioned his ethics or suspicion of drug use.&#0160; </p> <p>It’s been clear for some time to most competitive cyclists&#0160;that Lance has been cheating for years.&#0160; I didn’t need to see a positive blood test for banned substances to know that a cyclist at his level could be better than his competitors that&#0160;were receiving&#0160;a 10% to 15% performance boost from their drug programs.&#0160; I often found myself having spirited debates with people that wanted to believe that Lance’s fairy tale performance was legitimate, just because he never tested positive.&#0160; Let’s remember, Marion Jones was never busted for drug use and she ultimately confessed and went to jail.&#0160; I would argue that I don’t need to see it snow throughout the evening to know that it snowed during the night if the ground was covered with snow in the morning.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance-armstrong_1450125c" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c-800wi" title="Lance-armstrong_1450125c" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3299631f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p>Because the Lance Armstrong story crosses from the relatively small cycling community into main stream media, many people believed his entourage of lawyers, public relations, and team officials that would protect him by spinning stories that provided the believer an avenue to continue believing the fairy tale.&#0160; </p> <p>Everyone seems to have an opinion about Lance Armstrong, but I’m troubled with the reaction so many people have regarding this story, especially in light of the facts.&#0160; I’m troubled that so many people still look to this man as an idol that’s simply being unjustly punished.&#0160; I’m hoping this reaction is the result of ignorance, because I’m disturbed how these idol worshipers are compromising their own values and ethics by justifying his guilt by saying, everyone else was cheating, so it’s ok.&#0160; It’s NOT OK!</p> <p>In a world where humans categorise certain actions of others as unacceptable behaviour; in the case of Lance Armstrong, he’s not only a cheat, but his actions embody behaviour that’s generally reserved for the worst kind of career criminal.&#0160; Here is a partial list of some of his actions that have been exposed during the USADA’s investigation, which have been corroborated by over 20 testimonies from some of Lance’s former teammates and close acquaintances under oath:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Drug Dealer</strong>: Lance would often source and supply known performance enhancing drugs to his teammates</li> <li><strong>Conspirator</strong>: Lance, along with the team’s director, doctor, trainer and others developed elaborate schemes to evade detection of his illegal activities. </li> <li><strong>Liar</strong>: Lance has looked directly into eyes of the public for approximately two decades and enthusiastically denied ever cheating. </li> <li><strong>Cheat</strong>: It’s now clear that Lance orchestrated the most sophisticated cheating program in the history of sport</li> <li><strong>Perjurer</strong>: On multiple occasions Lance has perjured himself by testifying that he and no one associated with his cycling team had ever taken performance enhancing drugs</li> <li><strong>Bully</strong>: Lance threatened many riders on his team that if they did not get on the “program”, they would not be part of the team.&#0160; Can you imagine if your manager at work gave you that kind of ultimatum, what would your reaction be?</li> </ul> <p>Each of us lives by a set of values, ethics and morals that defines who we are and becomes our personal “brand”.&#0160; And this brand isn’t defined by what we say, but how we act and are perceived by others.&#0160; Your friends, family, work colleagues and community will determine what your real brand is through your actions, not words.&#0160;In the case of Lance Armstrong, we have a complete misalignment of what he says he is, compared to what we now know he is.&#0160; While Lance was giving the appearance of helping people with cancer, he was exerting the kind of pressure associated with a back street thug on his cycling teammates to take the very drugs that some experts believe may have caused of his own cancer, or lose they would their jobs. &#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>So when I see people that I thought to have a solid brand, consisting of high values and ethics that continue to defend his actions; it brings into question their own brand.&#0160; How can they say they’re against bullying, drug pushing, cheating, and lying, while at the same time their actions support a guy that encompasses all these despicable qualities?&#0160; You can’t suck and blow at the same time.</p> <p>Lance is a multi-millionaire resulting from a sports career based on cheating and lies and I’m sure he sleeps well at night by convincing himself that he was justified in his actions.&#0160; His only disappointment would be that he got caught.&#0160; We know now that he is driven by power and self importance and his apparent lack of concern for others, even those with cancer has been self serving to hide the real brand of lies and deceit.&#0160; One could even argue that Lance exhibits <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder" target="_blank" title="narcissictic">narcissistic </a>behaviour.</p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d-800wi" title="Lance 2" /></a></p> <p>The Lance Armstrong story&#0160;is right up there with other notable liars, cheats and fraudsters, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff" target="_blank" title="Madoff">Bernie Madoff</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods" target="_blank" title="Tiger Woods">Tiger Woods</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Johnson_(sprinter)" target="_blank" title="Ben Johnson">Ben Johnson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky" target="_blank" title="Jerry Sandusky">Jerry Sandusky</a>, all of whom deceived the public and their community by not living the brand they projected. &#0160;</p> <p>But as much as this is a dissappointing story, it&#39;s&#0160;also a story of progress, because I&#39;m optimistic that it has moved the sport of cycling and sport in general, one step closer to the desired state of fair play. Through the USADA’s investigation and the detail they exposed how these cheaters were able to evade detection for so long, has now made it more difficult to cheat at the individual athlete level, as well as the team level.&#0160; This investigation brings us closer to a day, where the winner is in fact a true champion that is deserving of his or her accomplishments, knowing it was achieved through hard work, dedication, commitment to excellence and fair play. </p> <p>I look forward to that day.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alps web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c" height="235" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c-800wi" title="Alps web" width="257" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>As an avid endurance athlete for most of my life, I’ve followed Lance Armstrong’s rise, and most recently his fall from super stardom after the United States Anti Doping Agency (<a href="http://www.usada.org/?gclid=CJ6Tm9jyiLMCFWThQgodm08AWw" target="_blank" title="USADA">USADA</a>) presented their evidence that undeniably proves that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong" target="_blank" title="LA">Lance Armstrong</a> was a cheat and a liar for the majority of his athletic career. His story of returning to the highest level of cycling competition after his bout with cancer has always been suspicious to me.&#0160; I’ve had many spirited discussions with people that believe in this miracle and were critical of my position that he has always been a drug doping cheat . &#0160;That being said, I too wanted to believe in his “Cinderella” story, but the facts simply didn’t add up.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="LieStrong" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32995ddc970b-800wi" title="LieStrong" /></a></p> <p>It wasn’t until almost all of the other top pro riders that Lance competed head to head against starting testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) and blood doping that I realized Lance’s story was no Cinderella miracle, but simply a case of a good athlete and an even better cheat.&#0160; </p> <p>For those of you that want to understand how the biggest fraud in sport history got away with it for so many years, read this article by <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/10/analysis/no-armstrong-never-tested-positive-but-how_261616" target="_blank" title="Velo News">Velo News</a> that summarizes the 200 page report released by the USADA last week.</p> <p>I’m an advocate for health and wellness, and it is my hope that I make personal lifestyle choices that will maximize the quality of my life and the lives of others.&#0160; Lance Armstrong has been hiding behind a similar life purpose through his LiveStrong charity and his personal battle with Testicular cancer.&#0160; Unfortunately he was deceiving his fans, and the general public that were captured by this amazing story of determination and willpower, but worst of all; he deceived the cancer community.&#0160; Because of Lance’s involvement with the LiveStrong cancer charity (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/lance-armstrong-livestrong_n_1973097.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&amp;utm_campaign=101712&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=NewsEntry&amp;utm_term=Daily%20Brief" target="_blank" title="Huff Post">Note: as of Oct 17 Lance stepped down as Chairman</a>), he’s not just disappointed his cycling fans, but he’s knocked the wind out of the sails of the kid that’s fighting Leukemia, or the single mother that’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, or the dad that has to deal with Testicular cancer, all who looked up to him as a source of hope and inspiration. &#0160;</p> <p>The “<a href="http://cyclinginvestigation.usada.org/" target="_blank" title="USDA - Reasoned Decision">Reasoned Decision</a>” released by the USADA, which I read in its entirety, describes the actions and behaviour of a despicable man, whose own self interests trumped all his decisions and would aggressively attack anyone that got in his way, including his closest friends, teammates, and individuals that remotely questioned his ethics or suspicion of drug use.&#0160; </p> <p>It’s been clear for some time to most competitive cyclists&#0160;that Lance has been cheating for years.&#0160; I didn’t need to see a positive blood test for banned substances to know that a cyclist at his level could be better than his competitors that&#0160;were receiving&#0160;a 10% to 15% performance boost from their drug programs.&#0160; I often found myself having spirited debates with people that wanted to believe that Lance’s fairy tale performance was legitimate, just because he never tested positive.&#0160; Let’s remember, Marion Jones was never busted for drug use and she ultimately confessed and went to jail.&#0160; I would argue that I don’t need to see it snow throughout the evening to know that it snowed during the night if the ground was covered with snow in the morning.&#0160; </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance-armstrong_1450125c" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc805d2970c-800wi" title="Lance-armstrong_1450125c" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3299631f970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p>Because the Lance Armstrong story crosses from the relatively small cycling community into main stream media, many people believed his entourage of lawyers, public relations, and team officials that would protect him by spinning stories that provided the believer an avenue to continue believing the fairy tale.&#0160; </p> <p>Everyone seems to have an opinion about Lance Armstrong, but I’m troubled with the reaction so many people have regarding this story, especially in light of the facts.&#0160; I’m troubled that so many people still look to this man as an idol that’s simply being unjustly punished.&#0160; I’m hoping this reaction is the result of ignorance, because I’m disturbed how these idol worshipers are compromising their own values and ethics by justifying his guilt by saying, everyone else was cheating, so it’s ok.&#0160; It’s NOT OK!</p> <p>In a world where humans categorise certain actions of others as unacceptable behaviour; in the case of Lance Armstrong, he’s not only a cheat, but his actions embody behaviour that’s generally reserved for the worst kind of career criminal.&#0160; Here is a partial list of some of his actions that have been exposed during the USADA’s investigation, which have been corroborated by over 20 testimonies from some of Lance’s former teammates and close acquaintances under oath:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Drug Dealer</strong>: Lance would often source and supply known performance enhancing drugs to his teammates</li> <li><strong>Conspirator</strong>: Lance, along with the team’s director, doctor, trainer and others developed elaborate schemes to evade detection of his illegal activities. </li> <li><strong>Liar</strong>: Lance has looked directly into eyes of the public for approximately two decades and enthusiastically denied ever cheating. </li> <li><strong>Cheat</strong>: It’s now clear that Lance orchestrated the most sophisticated cheating program in the history of sport</li> <li><strong>Perjurer</strong>: On multiple occasions Lance has perjured himself by testifying that he and no one associated with his cycling team had ever taken performance enhancing drugs</li> <li><strong>Bully</strong>: Lance threatened many riders on his team that if they did not get on the “program”, they would not be part of the team.&#0160; Can you imagine if your manager at work gave you that kind of ultimatum, what would your reaction be?</li> </ul> <p>Each of us lives by a set of values, ethics and morals that defines who we are and becomes our personal “brand”.&#0160; And this brand isn’t defined by what we say, but how we act and are perceived by others.&#0160; Your friends, family, work colleagues and community will determine what your real brand is through your actions, not words.&#0160;In the case of Lance Armstrong, we have a complete misalignment of what he says he is, compared to what we now know he is.&#0160; While Lance was giving the appearance of helping people with cancer, he was exerting the kind of pressure associated with a back street thug on his cycling teammates to take the very drugs that some experts believe may have caused of his own cancer, or lose they would their jobs. &#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>So when I see people that I thought to have a solid brand, consisting of high values and ethics that continue to defend his actions; it brings into question their own brand.&#0160; How can they say they’re against bullying, drug pushing, cheating, and lying, while at the same time their actions support a guy that encompasses all these despicable qualities?&#0160; You can’t suck and blow at the same time.</p> <p>Lance is a multi-millionaire resulting from a sports career based on cheating and lies and I’m sure he sleeps well at night by convincing himself that he was justified in his actions.&#0160; His only disappointment would be that he got caught.&#0160; We know now that he is driven by power and self importance and his apparent lack of concern for others, even those with cancer has been self serving to hide the real brand of lies and deceit.&#0160; One could even argue that Lance exhibits <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder" target="_blank" title="narcissictic">narcissistic </a>behaviour.</p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Lance 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee43d6b4b970d-800wi" title="Lance 2" /></a></p> <p>The Lance Armstrong story&#0160;is right up there with other notable liars, cheats and fraudsters, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff" target="_blank" title="Madoff">Bernie Madoff</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods" target="_blank" title="Tiger Woods">Tiger Woods</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Johnson_(sprinter)" target="_blank" title="Ben Johnson">Ben Johnson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky" target="_blank" title="Jerry Sandusky">Jerry Sandusky</a>, all of whom deceived the public and their community by not living the brand they projected. &#0160;</p> <p>But as much as this is a dissappointing story, it&#39;s&#0160;also a story of progress, because I&#39;m optimistic that it has moved the sport of cycling and sport in general, one step closer to the desired state of fair play. Through the USADA’s investigation and the detail they exposed how these cheaters were able to evade detection for so long, has now made it more difficult to cheat at the individual athlete level, as well as the team level.&#0160; This investigation brings us closer to a day, where the winner is in fact a true champion that is deserving of his or her accomplishments, knowing it was achieved through hard work, dedication, commitment to excellence and fair play. </p> <p>I look forward to that day.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alps web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c" height="235" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3cc7fd3b970c-800wi" title="Alps web" width="257" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017d3c953799970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-10-08T20:25:43Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017c32668947970bTravel to the "Bizarro World" using your healthy "Auto-Pilot"http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-10-08T20:25:42Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>When it comes to health, diet and exercise I think I live in the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_World" target="_blank" title="Bizarro World">Bizarro World</a>”, where everything is opposite to the normal world.&#0160; It’s a world where exercise is done every day for more than one hour, and taking an unscheduled day off is considered cruel and unusual punishment.&#0160; The reason my Bizarro World is so normal for me is because my priority and attention to my health, fitness and wellness is set on “Auto-Pilot” for more than 3 decades.&#0160; Unfortunately, the majority of North American’s have their Auto-Pilots pointing in the wrong direction. &#0160;And it’s such a mystery why so many people are surprised when they receive bad news about their health.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a7398970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c951e05970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sud Provence Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b" height="255" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Sud Provence Web" width="339" /></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a742d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><br /><br /></a>In addition to exercising every day, my Bizarro World’s auto pilot also directs me to shop for food in the outside aisles of the grocery store where the real food is sold, while in the “Normal World”, people shop the inner aisles where they find unhealthy processed foods, snacks and soft drinks.&#0160; My auto pilot also prevents me from ever eating at fast food joints like McDonalds, Burger King or Wendy’s, while in the Normal World, their auto pilot directs them to frequent these unhealthy fast food joints on a regular basis, with giving little consideration for the future health outcomes. &#0160;And we wonder why our healthcare costs are so out of control.</p> <p>Many months ago I wrote a Blog Post about the emerging science of “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/better-health-all-it-needs-a-little-nudge.html" target="_blank" title="Behavioural Economics">Behavioural Economics</a>” and how making small changes in lifestyle can put you a Healthy Auto Pilot.&#0160; This past weekend’s Globe and Mail had a great article on this very topic, which I’ve copied below in its entirety for your convenience.&#0160; </p> <p>Having your auto pilot pointed in&#0160;the right&#0160;healthy direction is so important to your long term health.&#0160; Research has found that most&#0160;decisions that have a long term impact are not the result of careful deliberation, but are formed through&#0160;a dysfunctional Auto Pilot that repeats the same unhealthy practices over and over again for decades.&#0160; Since most degenerative diseases are the result of years or decades of repetitive choices, it only makes sense that you adjust your auto pilot’s direction towards the Bizarro World and enjoy the associated long term health benefits.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c94f17e970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d" height="203" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d-800wi" title="AZ Riding Web" width="194" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Can we nudge ourselves to better health?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">The Globe and Mail - October 5, 2012</span></p> <p>Eat less, move more, stop smoking, cut down on booze. Public health campaigns have been drilling these messages into our heads for years. Even so, Canadians are failing to ditch their bad habits.</p> <p>The reason, according to a growing body of research, is that we spend much of our days on autopilot. Instead of making conscious decisions each time we commute to work or buy lunch, we hop in the car, see a fast-food sign and order fries.</p> <p>Automatic behaviours make life more efficient, freeing up cognitive energy for important tasks. But according to a new study published in the journal Science, our mindless choices are literally putting our health at risk.</p> <p>The authors suggest that instead of just providing health information, public health initiatives should target the knee-jerk behaviours that are making us fatter and sicker.</p> <p>“We now know that much of our behaviour is not driven by deliberation upon the consequences of our actions but rather, is automatic, shaped by our environments, often without awareness,” says Theresa Marteau, lead author of the study and director of the behaviour and health research unit at Cambridge University.</p> <p>She and her co-authors note that subtle changes in the environment, which require little or no conscious engagement, may nudge people to make healthier choices.</p> <p>For example, when elevator doors are programmed to close slowly, more people take the stairs. Cafeteria customers are more likely to choose fruits and vegetables when salad bars are easier to reach. And drinkers tend to consume less alcohol when it is served in tall, narrow glasses instead of short, wide-bottomed tumblers.</p> <p>Since many behaviours that increase the risk of disease offer pleasure, Marteau says, health initiatives should take enjoyment into account. She notes that young children are more willing to consume vegetables when the packaging features cartoon characters, and more likely to eat lentil stew if it is called “teddy bears porridge.”</p> <p>Much of the global burden of disease may be preventible, she adds. The World Health Organization estimates that rates of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease would be cut by 75 per cent and cancer by 40 per cent if people stopped smoking, reduced alcohol consumption, improved their diets and got more exercise.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266a4d1970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Health and Wellness" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Health and Wellness" /></a><br /><br />Behaviour change is the holy grail of preventive medicine – and the subject of recent bestsellers such as <em>The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business</em> and <em>Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness</em>.</p> <p>The latest evidence from neuroscience, psychology and behaviour economics suggests that our actions are guided by two interacting systems: a reflective system, in which we work toward goals, aware of our motivations and actions, and an automatic system, in which we act without reflection, responding to external cues while our thoughts are elsewhere.</p> <p>Automatic behaviours are often at odds with our conscious goals, Marteau and her co-authors explain. What’s more, they tend to kick in when we’re under stress or faced with a task that requires attention. In one experiment, participants asked to memorize a string of numbers were more likely to choose chocolate cake over fruit salad when forced to make the decision in the middle of the exercise. (That may explain why we grab chips from the vending machine instead of multigrain crackers when we’re working on deadline.)</p> <p>Although people can consciously change their behaviour, “this requires using our scarce cognitive capacity,” which may then be deflected from the complex situations we face every day, Marteau says.</p> <p>Howard Leventhal, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, confirms that external cues may prompt healthier behaviours. But he cautions that when a person leaves the environment designed to encourage healthy choices, the approach stops working. “People don’t internalize it.”</p> <p>Public health campaigns should engage the reasoning process that individuals use to embed a preventive behaviour into their daily routines, he says. For example, a person with Type 2 diabetes could make a habit of parking farther from store entrances to incorporate short walks. Ideally, he says, the patient’s new automatic behaviour would be reinforced by initiatives to create healthier environments, such as making nutritious foods more readily available.</p> <p>Marteau acknowledges that a multi-pronged approach is probably the most effective way to achieve widespread behaviour change. But campaigns designed to nudge the public to adopt better habits can only go so far, she and her colleagues suggest. In an earlier report in the British Medical Journal, they argue that policy makers may need to increase regulation around such issues as junk food advertising and the glut of unhealthy products on the market, to counteract the powerful cues that trigger our unhealthy behaviours.</p> Smoking is one example, Marteau says. While smoking cessation treatments may be effective, she points out, “they are more successful when there are fewer places where tobacco can be bought.” <p>When it comes to health, diet and exercise I think I live in the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_World" target="_blank" title="Bizarro World">Bizarro World</a>”, where everything is opposite to the normal world.&#0160; It’s a world where exercise is done every day for more than one hour, and taking an unscheduled day off is considered cruel and unusual punishment.&#0160; The reason my Bizarro World is so normal for me is because my priority and attention to my health, fitness and wellness is set on “Auto-Pilot” for more than 3 decades.&#0160; Unfortunately, the majority of North American’s have their Auto-Pilots pointing in the wrong direction. &#0160;And it’s such a mystery why so many people are surprised when they receive bad news about their health.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a7398970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c951e05970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sud Provence Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b" height="255" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266c0ec970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Sud Provence Web" width="339" /></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a742d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><br /><br /></a>In addition to exercising every day, my Bizarro World’s auto pilot also directs me to shop for food in the outside aisles of the grocery store where the real food is sold, while in the “Normal World”, people shop the inner aisles where they find unhealthy processed foods, snacks and soft drinks.&#0160; My auto pilot also prevents me from ever eating at fast food joints like McDonalds, Burger King or Wendy’s, while in the Normal World, their auto pilot directs them to frequent these unhealthy fast food joints on a regular basis, with giving little consideration for the future health outcomes. &#0160;And we wonder why our healthcare costs are so out of control.</p> <p>Many months ago I wrote a Blog Post about the emerging science of “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/better-health-all-it-needs-a-little-nudge.html" target="_blank" title="Behavioural Economics">Behavioural Economics</a>” and how making small changes in lifestyle can put you a Healthy Auto Pilot.&#0160; This past weekend’s Globe and Mail had a great article on this very topic, which I’ve copied below in its entirety for your convenience.&#0160; </p> <p>Having your auto pilot pointed in&#0160;the right&#0160;healthy direction is so important to your long term health.&#0160; Research has found that most&#0160;decisions that have a long term impact are not the result of careful deliberation, but are formed through&#0160;a dysfunctional Auto Pilot that repeats the same unhealthy practices over and over again for decades.&#0160; Since most degenerative diseases are the result of years or decades of repetitive choices, it only makes sense that you adjust your auto pilot’s direction towards the Bizarro World and enjoy the associated long term health benefits.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c94f17e970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d" height="203" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee40a54e6970d-800wi" title="AZ Riding Web" width="194" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Can we nudge ourselves to better health?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">The Globe and Mail - October 5, 2012</span></p> <p>Eat less, move more, stop smoking, cut down on booze. Public health campaigns have been drilling these messages into our heads for years. Even so, Canadians are failing to ditch their bad habits.</p> <p>The reason, according to a growing body of research, is that we spend much of our days on autopilot. Instead of making conscious decisions each time we commute to work or buy lunch, we hop in the car, see a fast-food sign and order fries.</p> <p>Automatic behaviours make life more efficient, freeing up cognitive energy for important tasks. But according to a new study published in the journal Science, our mindless choices are literally putting our health at risk.</p> <p>The authors suggest that instead of just providing health information, public health initiatives should target the knee-jerk behaviours that are making us fatter and sicker.</p> <p>“We now know that much of our behaviour is not driven by deliberation upon the consequences of our actions but rather, is automatic, shaped by our environments, often without awareness,” says Theresa Marteau, lead author of the study and director of the behaviour and health research unit at Cambridge University.</p> <p>She and her co-authors note that subtle changes in the environment, which require little or no conscious engagement, may nudge people to make healthier choices.</p> <p>For example, when elevator doors are programmed to close slowly, more people take the stairs. Cafeteria customers are more likely to choose fruits and vegetables when salad bars are easier to reach. And drinkers tend to consume less alcohol when it is served in tall, narrow glasses instead of short, wide-bottomed tumblers.</p> <p>Since many behaviours that increase the risk of disease offer pleasure, Marteau says, health initiatives should take enjoyment into account. She notes that young children are more willing to consume vegetables when the packaging features cartoon characters, and more likely to eat lentil stew if it is called “teddy bears porridge.”</p> <p>Much of the global burden of disease may be preventible, she adds. The World Health Organization estimates that rates of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease would be cut by 75 per cent and cancer by 40 per cent if people stopped smoking, reduced alcohol consumption, improved their diets and got more exercise.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3266a4d1970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Health and Wellness" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c95018f970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Health and Wellness" /></a><br /><br />Behaviour change is the holy grail of preventive medicine – and the subject of recent bestsellers such as <em>The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business</em> and <em>Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness</em>.</p> <p>The latest evidence from neuroscience, psychology and behaviour economics suggests that our actions are guided by two interacting systems: a reflective system, in which we work toward goals, aware of our motivations and actions, and an automatic system, in which we act without reflection, responding to external cues while our thoughts are elsewhere.</p> <p>Automatic behaviours are often at odds with our conscious goals, Marteau and her co-authors explain. What’s more, they tend to kick in when we’re under stress or faced with a task that requires attention. In one experiment, participants asked to memorize a string of numbers were more likely to choose chocolate cake over fruit salad when forced to make the decision in the middle of the exercise. (That may explain why we grab chips from the vending machine instead of multigrain crackers when we’re working on deadline.)</p> <p>Although people can consciously change their behaviour, “this requires using our scarce cognitive capacity,” which may then be deflected from the complex situations we face every day, Marteau says.</p> <p>Howard Leventhal, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, confirms that external cues may prompt healthier behaviours. But he cautions that when a person leaves the environment designed to encourage healthy choices, the approach stops working. “People don’t internalize it.”</p> <p>Public health campaigns should engage the reasoning process that individuals use to embed a preventive behaviour into their daily routines, he says. For example, a person with Type 2 diabetes could make a habit of parking farther from store entrances to incorporate short walks. Ideally, he says, the patient’s new automatic behaviour would be reinforced by initiatives to create healthier environments, such as making nutritious foods more readily available.</p> <p>Marteau acknowledges that a multi-pronged approach is probably the most effective way to achieve widespread behaviour change. But campaigns designed to nudge the public to adopt better habits can only go so far, she and her colleagues suggest. In an earlier report in the British Medical Journal, they argue that policy makers may need to increase regulation around such issues as junk food advertising and the glut of unhealthy products on the market, to counteract the powerful cues that trigger our unhealthy behaviours.</p> Smoking is one example, Marteau says. While smoking cessation treatments may be effective, she points out, “they are more successful when there are fewer places where tobacco can be bought.”tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017d3c62dc3d970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-09-29T00:45:57Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7e938970dDon't "Live a Little"...learn to "Live a Lot"http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-09-29T00:45:57Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Most people would be happy just to say they made it to 100 years of age and still be able to walk and remember their name. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1263785--photos-100-year-old-cyclist-sets-new-standard-for-100-kilometre-ride" target="_blank" title="100 year old sets 100km record">Not Frenchman, Robert Marchand</a>. No, just making it to 100 is for pussies. This guy is setting world records on his bike. First he <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/02/if-he-can-do-it-you-can-do-it-too-no-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Robert Marchand">set the one hour cycling record </a>in Switzerland by covering over 24 kilometres in one hour, a record that was sanctioned by cycling’s international governing body, the UCI. Now he set a second official record for a person over 100 years of age by covering 100km in a time of 4:17:27.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Robert Marchand 100km" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Robert Marchand 100km" /></a></p> <p>I’m writing this blog post from my second home in Arizona, where I have ridden over 1500kms in the past 15 days as I begin my preparation for the next year&#39;s <a href="http://www.hauteroute.org/en/raceinfo" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route race from Geneva, Switzerland to Nice France</a>. Every time I come down here from my home in Canada, I’m always shocked at the poor health of so many Americans, by evidence of the number of obese people. Given the alarming condition of the majority North American’s (Canadian’s included), just completing a 100km ride would be a near impossibility for most, but to ride it in Mr. Marchand’s time of a little over 4 hours is only a dream.&#0160; And it&#39;s such a mystery why we have out of control healthcare costs!</p> <p>As much as racing in next year’s Haute Route is a lofty goal to be sure, it’s only a small step in a much larger target and Mr. Marchand is making my ultimate goal a whole lot more difficult, because instead of going after one record when I turn 100, I now have to break two. He has set the bar higher because now in addition to breaking the one hour record, I also have to beat his 100km record. </p> <p>I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about Mr. Marchand accomplishments and we were identifying the many things you have to get right in your life to accomplish what he’s doing at his age. First, he has some good genetics at work here, but good genes will only get you so far, so what are the other things, let me list just a few: </p> <ul> <li>You have to remain active all your life to be able to ride 100km at 100 years of age. </li> <li>You have to eat a nutritious diet throughout your life that consists of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, high quality protein, healthy carbohydrates, while avoiding the foods we know are bad for us. </li> <li>Drink a healthy amount of water every day.</li> <li>Don’t smoke (that&#39;s obvious) and don’t drink an <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/04/drinking-how-alcohol-affects-athletic-performance.html" target="_blank" title="Alcohol on Athletics">unhealthy amount of alcohol </a>(1 drink a day for women and 2 for men) </li> <li>Get enough sleep and rest </li> <li>De-stress your life </li> <li>Keep your mind active, for without a sharp mind, you&#39;ll never be able to&#0160;manage even the simple things like keeping your balance, or structure a training program to accomplish the kind of physical activities Mr Marchand is capable of. </li> <li>And finally, have a passion in your life that keeps you young. Clearly, Mr. Marchand’s passion is cycling and it’s giving him purpose, and probably one of the main reasons he’s still so active. </li> </ul> <p>This represents a partial list of the most important elements necessary for a long and healthy life that many will consider somewhat restrictive or even boring. In fact, I’ve been told on a number of occasions that I should “<strong>live a little</strong>”, especially when I’m at a party and I&#0160;refuse to&#0160;drink the same volume of alcohol as others. My goal isn’t to “<strong>live a little</strong>”, but to “<strong>live a lot</strong>”! I’m only 56, so I have another 44 years to train and prepare for my attempt at Mr. Marchand’s records. Racing next year’s Haute Route race is considered the world’s toughest cycling sportive and is what I equate to as, &quot;<strong>living a lot</strong>&quot;.&#0160; I certainly don&#39;t want age to be the thing that prevents me from being like Mr. Marchand.</p> The important thing to consider about long term health is that what you do today will affect you 20, 30, or even 40 years from now.&#0160; Most people that reach their 60&#39;s, 70&#39;s and 80&#39;s&#0160;in poor health, generally achieve this state as the result of poor lifestyle choices that manifest into one of the many degenerative diseases.&#0160; <p>The purpose of this post is to share an inspirational story of a 100 year old man that’s “<strong>living a lot</strong>” and it proves that it’s not by accident that’s he’s capable of these amazing accomplishments. For sure, you can’t do much about your genetics, and some people are just luckier than others. I may be one of those people (I hope); given my father at the age of 87 is still very active and does his daily 10km run/walk. But there are so many more variables that you have total control over if you apply discipline and dedication to make it happen. </p> <p>Remember, you don’t stop exercising because you’re old; you get old because you stop exercising. </p> <p>Enjoy the ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7ede5970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 8 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c" height="241" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c-800wi" title="Provence 8 - web" width="223" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7f26c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32345b0b970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7f71d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><br /></p> <p>Most people would be happy just to say they made it to 100 years of age and still be able to walk and remember their name. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1263785--photos-100-year-old-cyclist-sets-new-standard-for-100-kilometre-ride" target="_blank" title="100 year old sets 100km record">Not Frenchman, Robert Marchand</a>. No, just making it to 100 is for pussies. This guy is setting world records on his bike. First he <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/02/if-he-can-do-it-you-can-do-it-too-no-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Robert Marchand">set the one hour cycling record </a>in Switzerland by covering over 24 kilometres in one hour, a record that was sanctioned by cycling’s international governing body, the UCI. Now he set a second official record for a person over 100 years of age by covering 100km in a time of 4:17:27.&#0160; </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Robert Marchand 100km" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d80618970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Robert Marchand 100km" /></a></p> <p>I’m writing this blog post from my second home in Arizona, where I have ridden over 1500kms in the past 15 days as I begin my preparation for the next year&#39;s <a href="http://www.hauteroute.org/en/raceinfo" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route race from Geneva, Switzerland to Nice France</a>. Every time I come down here from my home in Canada, I’m always shocked at the poor health of so many Americans, by evidence of the number of obese people. Given the alarming condition of the majority North American’s (Canadian’s included), just completing a 100km ride would be a near impossibility for most, but to ride it in Mr. Marchand’s time of a little over 4 hours is only a dream.&#0160; And it&#39;s such a mystery why we have out of control healthcare costs!</p> <p>As much as racing in next year’s Haute Route is a lofty goal to be sure, it’s only a small step in a much larger target and Mr. Marchand is making my ultimate goal a whole lot more difficult, because instead of going after one record when I turn 100, I now have to break two. He has set the bar higher because now in addition to breaking the one hour record, I also have to beat his 100km record. </p> <p>I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about Mr. Marchand accomplishments and we were identifying the many things you have to get right in your life to accomplish what he’s doing at his age. First, he has some good genetics at work here, but good genes will only get you so far, so what are the other things, let me list just a few: </p> <ul> <li>You have to remain active all your life to be able to ride 100km at 100 years of age. </li> <li>You have to eat a nutritious diet throughout your life that consists of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, high quality protein, healthy carbohydrates, while avoiding the foods we know are bad for us. </li> <li>Drink a healthy amount of water every day.</li> <li>Don’t smoke (that&#39;s obvious) and don’t drink an <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/04/drinking-how-alcohol-affects-athletic-performance.html" target="_blank" title="Alcohol on Athletics">unhealthy amount of alcohol </a>(1 drink a day for women and 2 for men) </li> <li>Get enough sleep and rest </li> <li>De-stress your life </li> <li>Keep your mind active, for without a sharp mind, you&#39;ll never be able to&#0160;manage even the simple things like keeping your balance, or structure a training program to accomplish the kind of physical activities Mr Marchand is capable of. </li> <li>And finally, have a passion in your life that keeps you young. Clearly, Mr. Marchand’s passion is cycling and it’s giving him purpose, and probably one of the main reasons he’s still so active. </li> </ul> <p>This represents a partial list of the most important elements necessary for a long and healthy life that many will consider somewhat restrictive or even boring. In fact, I’ve been told on a number of occasions that I should “<strong>live a little</strong>”, especially when I’m at a party and I&#0160;refuse to&#0160;drink the same volume of alcohol as others. My goal isn’t to “<strong>live a little</strong>”, but to “<strong>live a lot</strong>”! I’m only 56, so I have another 44 years to train and prepare for my attempt at Mr. Marchand’s records. Racing next year’s Haute Route race is considered the world’s toughest cycling sportive and is what I equate to as, &quot;<strong>living a lot</strong>&quot;.&#0160; I certainly don&#39;t want age to be the thing that prevents me from being like Mr. Marchand.</p> The important thing to consider about long term health is that what you do today will affect you 20, 30, or even 40 years from now.&#0160; Most people that reach their 60&#39;s, 70&#39;s and 80&#39;s&#0160;in poor health, generally achieve this state as the result of poor lifestyle choices that manifest into one of the many degenerative diseases.&#0160; <p>The purpose of this post is to share an inspirational story of a 100 year old man that’s “<strong>living a lot</strong>” and it proves that it’s not by accident that’s he’s capable of these amazing accomplishments. For sure, you can’t do much about your genetics, and some people are just luckier than others. I may be one of those people (I hope); given my father at the age of 87 is still very active and does his daily 10km run/walk. But there are so many more variables that you have total control over if you apply discipline and dedication to make it happen. </p> <p>Remember, you don’t stop exercising because you’re old; you get old because you stop exercising. </p> <p>Enjoy the ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7ede5970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Provence 8 - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c" height="241" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c62956d970c-800wi" title="Provence 8 - web" width="223" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7f26c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c32345b0b970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017ee3d7f71d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><br /></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017744d63444970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-09-19T05:34:21Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017d3c269219970cAre you Sitting Your Way to an Early Grave?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-09-19T05:34:21Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Maintaining optimal health involves many criteria to be dialled in just right to ensure you get the most out of your life.&#0160; One must consider the things that can inhibit your body from operating at its full potential, like avoiding smoking, drinking to excess, eating processed foods, etc., while ensuring we’re doing the things that are good for us as part of our daily routines, like exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep to mention a few.&#0160; Recent research has drawn our attention to the serious health consequences associated with sitting for hours at a time, which is common today because of the way we work and entertainment ourselves. </p> <p>I wrote a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/01/our-work-style-maybe-killing-us.html" target="_blank" title="Work Styles">blog post </a>on this topic earlier this year, and I think it’s worth another look, because so many of us are forced into this situation because of our jobs. &#0160;This time however, Dr Les weighs into the topic and explains how sitting on our butts for hours throughout the day and into the evening, has serious health risks we should be aware of.&#0160; He has done an excellent job of pointing out the risks while providing simple solutions to remain active, even if you’re&#0160;stuck for hours behind a computer.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b" height="233" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain - web" width="146" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>&#0160;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>&quot;He who sits the most, dies the soonest&quot;</strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Les Davidson</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sitting" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b" height="211" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b-800wi" title="Sitting" width="177" /></a></p> <p>Seven characteristics differentiate the &quot;living&quot; from the &quot;non- living&quot; — cellular form with heritable genetic information with respiration, metabolism, reproduction, excretion, response to stimuli and movement. &#0160;It Is because of the profound relationship of &quot;movement&quot; to life that our chiropractic clinic is named <a href="http://www.adjustedforlife.com/" target="_blank" title="Adjusted for Life">Adjusted for Life</a>.</p> <p>&#0160;Most people tend to think of movement in terms of physical fitness or weight loss but movement is a fundamental ingredient of being alive. It is why our clinic’s mission is—<em>Adding Life to Your Years.</em> The life-sustaining benefits of movement are so critical that I remind patients that while chiropractic care won’t heal them, it will remove barriers to the body healing itself.</p> <p><strong>But what constitutes movement?</strong></p> <p>For years, experts have advised us that there is a baseline level of physical activity necessary to maintain health and wellness. Canada&#39;s <a href="http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=804" target="_blank" title="Physical Activity Guildlines"><em>Physical Activity Guideline</em> </a>recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity. This baseline level has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer as well as provide overall health benefits. </p> <p>However, research now indicates that 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week can&#39;t protect us from the risks associated with being inactive for the other 9,903 minutes. It’s like eating a salad for lunch and then snacking on foods laden with trans fats or smoking during the break or consuming excess alcohol when you get home from work. Common sense suggests that you can’t expect one good habit to override the other health risks.</p> <p>Your body relies on movement to increase oxygen uptake, circulate blood and lymph fluids, transport food down the digestive tract and lubricate your joints. For this reason sitting needs to be considered as an independent risk factor to your health. It is a risk that is dose dependent. In other words it matters how long you sit at a time, how many days of the week you sit and cumulatively how long you have sat over the years. </p> <p><strong>Risks of sitting:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Metabolic syndrome with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. An important tool to counter this risk apart from proper diet is movement. The metabolic demands of movement are quantified in units known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_equivalent%20" target="_blank" title="Metabolic Equivalent">metabolic equivalent </a>tasks and range from .9 MET at rest to 20+ for sprinting.&#0160; Simply increasing our MET from 1.0 to 3.0 or shifting from a sitting to a standing position changes our metabolism positively. This is why standing at work when you can is important. If you decide to be more vigorous it is important to check in with your family physician before starting any exercise program.</li> <li>Loss of productivity because of fatigue and poor concentration. Your brain receives oxygen and proprioceptive nourishment as well as sensory information regarding balance, position and movements when you are active. In other words, if you want a healthy brain, you have to move your body. &quot;Ninety percent of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine,&quot; notes Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient for brain research. Sperry said that movement of the spine acts like a windmill powering up the brain.</li> <li>Musculoskeletal pain from short and tightened muscles. Intra-discal pressure increases by one-third from lying to standing and another one-third by sitting in a slouched sitting posture. If your joints hurt or your posture is poor, consider chiropractic. Chiropractic adjustments improve joint function which will enable you to move better and more frequently—components that are fundamental ingredients to life, health and well-being.</li> </ol> <p>Over the years, I have instructed patients and corporations on correct ergonomics in the work environment. I make recommendations on how to tailor their work station to specific needs in order to lower the risk of injury from cumulative trauma. While this is important, I believe it is more important to consider harm reduction or prevention. In other words it is less important how well you sit, than how long you sit! </p> <p>The first step is to find ways to limit the total time you sit followed by strategies to break up this total time into as little prolonged sitting as possible. Then consider the mechanics of how you are sitting followed by exercise recommendations to counter the imbalances that occur to the soft tissues with sitting.</p> <p>This time of year, with the fall weather and the return to studies and work our risk from prolonged sitting and diminished activity increases. It is important that you consciously work to counter this in your lifestyle. Three suggestions for countering this risk are</p> <p>1. Replace some of your lunchtime with exercise.</p> <p>2. Plan your TV time so that you aren’t drawn into watching mind numbing hours of programming.</p> <p>3. Incorporate into your day simple posture improving stretching movements such as these provided by <a href="http://straightenupalberta.com/" target="_blank" title="Straighten Up Alberta">Straighten up Alberta</a>.</p> <p>Adding life to your years.... Dr. Les</p> <p>Maintaining optimal health involves many criteria to be dialled in just right to ensure you get the most out of your life.&#0160; One must consider the things that can inhibit your body from operating at its full potential, like avoiding smoking, drinking to excess, eating processed foods, etc., while ensuring we’re doing the things that are good for us as part of our daily routines, like exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep to mention a few.&#0160; Recent research has drawn our attention to the serious health consequences associated with sitting for hours at a time, which is common today because of the way we work and entertainment ourselves. </p> <p>I wrote a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/01/our-work-style-maybe-killing-us.html" target="_blank" title="Work Styles">blog post </a>on this topic earlier this year, and I think it’s worth another look, because so many of us are forced into this situation because of our jobs. &#0160;This time however, Dr Les weighs into the topic and explains how sitting on our butts for hours throughout the day and into the evening, has serious health risks we should be aware of.&#0160; He has done an excellent job of pointing out the risks while providing simple solutions to remain active, even if you’re&#0160;stuck for hours behind a computer.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b" height="233" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f87695970b-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain - web" width="146" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>&#0160;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>&quot;He who sits the most, dies the soonest&quot;</strong></span></p> <p>By Dr Les Davidson</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sitting" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b" height="211" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c31f8855d970b-800wi" title="Sitting" width="177" /></a></p> <p>Seven characteristics differentiate the &quot;living&quot; from the &quot;non- living&quot; — cellular form with heritable genetic information with respiration, metabolism, reproduction, excretion, response to stimuli and movement. &#0160;It Is because of the profound relationship of &quot;movement&quot; to life that our chiropractic clinic is named <a href="http://www.adjustedforlife.com/" target="_blank" title="Adjusted for Life">Adjusted for Life</a>.</p> <p>&#0160;Most people tend to think of movement in terms of physical fitness or weight loss but movement is a fundamental ingredient of being alive. It is why our clinic’s mission is—<em>Adding Life to Your Years.</em> The life-sustaining benefits of movement are so critical that I remind patients that while chiropractic care won’t heal them, it will remove barriers to the body healing itself.</p> <p><strong>But what constitutes movement?</strong></p> <p>For years, experts have advised us that there is a baseline level of physical activity necessary to maintain health and wellness. Canada&#39;s <a href="http://www.csep.ca/english/view.asp?x=804" target="_blank" title="Physical Activity Guildlines"><em>Physical Activity Guideline</em> </a>recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity. This baseline level has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer as well as provide overall health benefits. </p> <p>However, research now indicates that 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week can&#39;t protect us from the risks associated with being inactive for the other 9,903 minutes. It’s like eating a salad for lunch and then snacking on foods laden with trans fats or smoking during the break or consuming excess alcohol when you get home from work. Common sense suggests that you can’t expect one good habit to override the other health risks.</p> <p>Your body relies on movement to increase oxygen uptake, circulate blood and lymph fluids, transport food down the digestive tract and lubricate your joints. For this reason sitting needs to be considered as an independent risk factor to your health. It is a risk that is dose dependent. In other words it matters how long you sit at a time, how many days of the week you sit and cumulatively how long you have sat over the years. </p> <p><strong>Risks of sitting:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Metabolic syndrome with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. An important tool to counter this risk apart from proper diet is movement. The metabolic demands of movement are quantified in units known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_equivalent%20" target="_blank" title="Metabolic Equivalent">metabolic equivalent </a>tasks and range from .9 MET at rest to 20+ for sprinting.&#0160; Simply increasing our MET from 1.0 to 3.0 or shifting from a sitting to a standing position changes our metabolism positively. This is why standing at work when you can is important. If you decide to be more vigorous it is important to check in with your family physician before starting any exercise program.</li> <li>Loss of productivity because of fatigue and poor concentration. Your brain receives oxygen and proprioceptive nourishment as well as sensory information regarding balance, position and movements when you are active. In other words, if you want a healthy brain, you have to move your body. &quot;Ninety percent of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine,&quot; notes Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient for brain research. Sperry said that movement of the spine acts like a windmill powering up the brain.</li> <li>Musculoskeletal pain from short and tightened muscles. Intra-discal pressure increases by one-third from lying to standing and another one-third by sitting in a slouched sitting posture. If your joints hurt or your posture is poor, consider chiropractic. Chiropractic adjustments improve joint function which will enable you to move better and more frequently—components that are fundamental ingredients to life, health and well-being.</li> </ol> <p>Over the years, I have instructed patients and corporations on correct ergonomics in the work environment. I make recommendations on how to tailor their work station to specific needs in order to lower the risk of injury from cumulative trauma. While this is important, I believe it is more important to consider harm reduction or prevention. In other words it is less important how well you sit, than how long you sit! </p> <p>The first step is to find ways to limit the total time you sit followed by strategies to break up this total time into as little prolonged sitting as possible. Then consider the mechanics of how you are sitting followed by exercise recommendations to counter the imbalances that occur to the soft tissues with sitting.</p> <p>This time of year, with the fall weather and the return to studies and work our risk from prolonged sitting and diminished activity increases. It is important that you consciously work to counter this in your lifestyle. Three suggestions for countering this risk are</p> <p>1. Replace some of your lunchtime with exercise.</p> <p>2. Plan your TV time so that you aren’t drawn into watching mind numbing hours of programming.</p> <p>3. Incorporate into your day simple posture improving stretching movements such as these provided by <a href="http://straightenupalberta.com/" target="_blank" title="Straighten Up Alberta">Straighten up Alberta</a>.</p> <p>Adding life to your years.... Dr. Les</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017d3bc2bc98970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-08-31T20:42:23Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017744718880970dHaute Route....You must be crazy! Seek the “Freak”http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-08-31T20:42:22Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Over the past 33 years, I’ve riding enough miles to go from the earth to more than 2/3 the way to the moon, competed in 7 Ironman Triathlons, run enough miles to circumnavigate the planet twice and swim the equivalent distance from LA California to Hawaii.&#0160; Believe me when I say I’ve been called “crazy” more than a few times about my commitment (some will call it an obsession) to athletics.&#0160; And I wouldn’t want it any other way.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>One of my biggest fears is to be categorized as “normal” by today’s standards.&#0160; I could provide you with the health risks of being considered part of the majority, or normal, but that’s for another day.&#0160; </p> <p>In my last blog post I described the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html" target="_blank" title="NFL">six (6) rules that will increase the quality of your life</a>, and rule #6 was to find your passion and keep it fuelled.&#0160; I love listening and seeing someone that’s totally passionate about something in their life.&#0160; Check out this video of my good friend Bob Willet’s son Nolan, doing some basketball drills.&#0160;&#0160;This is what passion looks like.</p> <p>&#0160;<iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bkRqMXJbVdo?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>To get to this level of proficiency (he’s now 14 and even better) he has to practice every day until his fingers bleed; push through that pain and then do some more.&#0160; A normal person without this kind of passion will never understand his level of commitment.&#0160; If it hasn’t already happened, someday, somewhere, someone will call Nolan “crazy” to dedicate this amount of time and effort to his sport, but what they will never understand is this is Nolan’s passion and the pain associated with the volume of training to become this good is what he considers fun.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Let me illustrate how I’ve fuelled my passion for athletics for over the past 30 years.&#0160; A passion which honours me the coveted title of being a “nut case”.&#0160; In my early days of running, when I thought 10km was a pretty good distance, I used to think marathons were reserved for those crazy freaks that were borderline masochists, but after racing a number of them myself, these “crazy freaks” began to look pretty normal....Time to refuel my passion.</p> <p>When I read about this bike race called the “Race Across America”; whereby the cyclists rode non-stop across the USA taking only brief stops for sleep.&#0160; I thought to myself, “Now those guys are definitely crazy”. &#0160;So I decided to ride my bike from Toronto to Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and raised money for Leukemia Research (a disease that took the life of my mother at the age of 56).&#0160; When co-workers, friends and even family heard what I was planning to do, many called me “crazy”, and I liked the fact that I wasn’t “normal”.&#0160; But after doing the ride which saw us average over 160km every day for 16 days in a row, it too seemed normal....Time to refuel my passion.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Florida trip SC" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b-800wi" title="Florida trip SC" /></a></p> <p>I happened to be turning the channels on my TV in the fall of 1982 a year after my bike trip to Florida when I witnessed Julie Moss crawl across the Ironman Triathlon finish line on ABC Wide World of Sports.&#0160; I thought to myself, what kind of passion and determination does a person require to force themself to crawl across the finish&#0160;line when every cell in their body is telling them to stop.&#0160; Clearly Ms. Moss was a certified “crazy freak”.... and I knew right there I wanted whatever it was that made her go.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VbWsQMabczM?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="459"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>After a while, I was curious to learn how crazy someone had to be to train for and race an Ironman.&#0160; So I taught myself how to swim and placed 10<sup>th</sup> overall in my first Ironman attempt.&#0160; &#0160;I was thought my place as a crazy Ironman was secure. &#0160;&#0160;And I did 6 more just to be safe.&#0160; Now that so many people have done the Ironman, my “crazy” status is once again in jeopardy, not to mention my need for a new goal to refuel my passion. &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" /></a></p> <p>So after riding my bike across the USA (north to south) two more times in an effort to raise money for cancer survivors,&#0160;I was once again looking for something to refuel my passion.&#0160; Last year my stepbrother Gerry Patterson who lives in the south of France, emailed me a link to an event that makes the Ironman look like a warm up (if that’s even possible).&#0160; It’s called <a href="http://www.hauteroute.org/en/raceinfo" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route </a>(“High Road” in English) and it’s as close as I will ever get to sport’s ultimate sufferfest Nirvana, the Tour de France.&#0160; </p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GMA-5ZU3Pgs?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>Haute Route is considered the toughest and highest amateur Cyclosportive in the world. It is a seven (7) day bike stage race from Geneva to Nice through the highest roads of the French Alps; the very same roads that have been made famous by the professional cyclists of the Tour de France for the past 100 years.&#0160; Haute Route covers 780km and the cyclists climb an unthinkable 21,000 meters (or the equivalent of 2.5 times the height of Mt Everest). &#0160;Talk about refuelling the passion.&#0160; Doing something like Haute Route is clearly CRAZY, even by my standards, that&#39;s why&#0160;I LOVE IT!</p> <p>There’s an old saying that, “Pain welcomes company”.&#0160; Well the kind of pain and suffering being served up by Haute Route welcomes a whole team of crazy people.&#0160; So my step brother Gerry and I have formed a team of 9 riders that are every bit as crazy as he and I to join us. <a href="http://gerrypatt.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/team-_____-presentation/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Team">Follow this link to Gerry’s Blog </a>to meet the other members of our team, who will join 600 other people that have the same passion for the sport of cycling in next year’s race.</p> <p>The point of this blog is not to encourage you to sign up for next year’s Haute Route, or play basketball like Nolan Willett.&#0160; No, it’s to encourage you to find your passion like Nolan, or my step brother Gerry, or the other countless number of people that started with a small passion&#0160;and over time gave it fuel.&#0160; Never stop seeking that freak within you, while feeding your passion with bigger goals and objectives that makes you feel alive.&#0160; And when someone asks you why you do it, or calls you crazy, you know you’ve arrived; you’re no longer&#0160;normal, which means you’ve finally found the “freak” within.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride..... Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Copy of Nice - Gerry and I crop - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b" height="239" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b-800wi" title="Copy of Nice - Gerry and I crop - web" width="305" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193c9e7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p> <p>Over the past 33 years, I’ve riding enough miles to go from the earth to more than 2/3 the way to the moon, competed in 7 Ironman Triathlons, run enough miles to circumnavigate the planet twice and swim the equivalent distance from LA California to Hawaii.&#0160; Believe me when I say I’ve been called “crazy” more than a few times about my commitment (some will call it an obsession) to athletics.&#0160; And I wouldn’t want it any other way.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>One of my biggest fears is to be categorized as “normal” by today’s standards.&#0160; I could provide you with the health risks of being considered part of the majority, or normal, but that’s for another day.&#0160; </p> <p>In my last blog post I described the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/08/6-rules-that-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-life.html" target="_blank" title="NFL">six (6) rules that will increase the quality of your life</a>, and rule #6 was to find your passion and keep it fuelled.&#0160; I love listening and seeing someone that’s totally passionate about something in their life.&#0160; Check out this video of my good friend Bob Willet’s son Nolan, doing some basketball drills.&#0160;&#0160;This is what passion looks like.</p> <p>&#0160;<iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bkRqMXJbVdo?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>To get to this level of proficiency (he’s now 14 and even better) he has to practice every day until his fingers bleed; push through that pain and then do some more.&#0160; A normal person without this kind of passion will never understand his level of commitment.&#0160; If it hasn’t already happened, someday, somewhere, someone will call Nolan “crazy” to dedicate this amount of time and effort to his sport, but what they will never understand is this is Nolan’s passion and the pain associated with the volume of training to become this good is what he considers fun.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Let me illustrate how I’ve fuelled my passion for athletics for over the past 30 years.&#0160; A passion which honours me the coveted title of being a “nut case”.&#0160; In my early days of running, when I thought 10km was a pretty good distance, I used to think marathons were reserved for those crazy freaks that were borderline masochists, but after racing a number of them myself, these “crazy freaks” began to look pretty normal....Time to refuel my passion.</p> <p>When I read about this bike race called the “Race Across America”; whereby the cyclists rode non-stop across the USA taking only brief stops for sleep.&#0160; I thought to myself, “Now those guys are definitely crazy”. &#0160;So I decided to ride my bike from Toronto to Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and raised money for Leukemia Research (a disease that took the life of my mother at the age of 56).&#0160; When co-workers, friends and even family heard what I was planning to do, many called me “crazy”, and I liked the fact that I wasn’t “normal”.&#0160; But after doing the ride which saw us average over 160km every day for 16 days in a row, it too seemed normal....Time to refuel my passion.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Florida trip SC" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193cbd0970b-800wi" title="Florida trip SC" /></a></p> <p>I happened to be turning the channels on my TV in the fall of 1982 a year after my bike trip to Florida when I witnessed Julie Moss crawl across the Ironman Triathlon finish line on ABC Wide World of Sports.&#0160; I thought to myself, what kind of passion and determination does a person require to force themself to crawl across the finish&#0160;line when every cell in their body is telling them to stop.&#0160; Clearly Ms. Moss was a certified “crazy freak”.... and I knew right there I wanted whatever it was that made her go.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VbWsQMabczM?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="459"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>After a while, I was curious to learn how crazy someone had to be to train for and race an Ironman.&#0160; So I taught myself how to swim and placed 10<sup>th</sup> overall in my first Ironman attempt.&#0160; &#0160;I was thought my place as a crazy Ironman was secure. &#0160;&#0160;And I did 6 more just to be safe.&#0160; Now that so many people have done the Ironman, my “crazy” status is once again in jeopardy, not to mention my need for a new goal to refuel my passion. &#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193ea17970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ironman - 1991 - swim - web" /></a></p> <p>So after riding my bike across the USA (north to south) two more times in an effort to raise money for cancer survivors,&#0160;I was once again looking for something to refuel my passion.&#0160; Last year my stepbrother Gerry Patterson who lives in the south of France, emailed me a link to an event that makes the Ironman look like a warm up (if that’s even possible).&#0160; It’s called <a href="http://www.hauteroute.org/en/raceinfo" target="_blank" title="Haute Route">Haute Route </a>(“High Road” in English) and it’s as close as I will ever get to sport’s ultimate sufferfest Nirvana, the Tour de France.&#0160; </p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GMA-5ZU3Pgs?fs=1&amp;feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p>Haute Route is considered the toughest and highest amateur Cyclosportive in the world. It is a seven (7) day bike stage race from Geneva to Nice through the highest roads of the French Alps; the very same roads that have been made famous by the professional cyclists of the Tour de France for the past 100 years.&#0160; Haute Route covers 780km and the cyclists climb an unthinkable 21,000 meters (or the equivalent of 2.5 times the height of Mt Everest). &#0160;Talk about refuelling the passion.&#0160; Doing something like Haute Route is clearly CRAZY, even by my standards, that&#39;s why&#0160;I LOVE IT!</p> <p>There’s an old saying that, “Pain welcomes company”.&#0160; Well the kind of pain and suffering being served up by Haute Route welcomes a whole team of crazy people.&#0160; So my step brother Gerry and I have formed a team of 9 riders that are every bit as crazy as he and I to join us. <a href="http://gerrypatt.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/team-_____-presentation/" target="_blank" title="Haute Route Team">Follow this link to Gerry’s Blog </a>to meet the other members of our team, who will join 600 other people that have the same passion for the sport of cycling in next year’s race.</p> <p>The point of this blog is not to encourage you to sign up for next year’s Haute Route, or play basketball like Nolan Willett.&#0160; No, it’s to encourage you to find your passion like Nolan, or my step brother Gerry, or the other countless number of people that started with a small passion&#0160;and over time gave it fuel.&#0160; Never stop seeking that freak within you, while feeding your passion with bigger goals and objectives that makes you feel alive.&#0160; And when someone asks you why you do it, or calls you crazy, you know you’ve arrived; you’re no longer&#0160;normal, which means you’ve finally found the “freak” within.&#0160; </p> <p>Enjoy the Ride..... Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Copy of Nice - Gerry and I crop - web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b" height="239" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193efd7970b-800wi" title="Copy of Nice - Gerry and I crop - web" width="305" /></a><br /><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017c3193c9e7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01774420a9da970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-08-14T16:32:45Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0177441c69e8970d6 Rules that will Increase the Quality of your Lifehttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-08-14T16:32:44Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Over the weekend I participated in the <a href="http://www.granfondorockies.ca/" target="_blank" title="GF Rockies">Gran Fondo Rockies </a>170km cycling “race”.&#0160; Well, they say it’s not a race, but hey, they give you a number, a time and the top 5 male and female finishers were awarded prize money.&#0160; So as far as I can tell, it had all the characteristics of a race.&#0160;</p> <p>Training for a 170km bike race, or just trying to increase the basic quality of your life requires 6 key criteria.&#0160;If you follow these 6 basic rules, you will enjoy increased energy levels (at any age).&#0160;</p> <ol> <li><strong>Eat Healthy, (Most of the Time):</strong>&#0160; I have to admit, I have a sweet tooth and I love French Fries and Onion Rings.&#0160; That said, I rarely eat this stuff because over the years, I’ve made small changes to my diet whereby I don’t crave it.&#0160; When grocery shopping, stick to the outside aisles, because that’s where you’ll find the healthy whole food and avoid the inside aisles where they stock the processed foods that are accountable for the health crisis in North America.&#0160; Over time, increase your fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains and lean meats, to the point where this becomes the majority of your calories consumed and junk food is the exception.&#0160; Finally, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/09/our-ever-growing-portion-sizes.html" target="_blank" title="Portions">watch your portions</a>.&#0160; North Americans eat way too much and generally have no idea what a healthy portion looks like.</li> <li><strong>Keep Moving &amp; Move More</strong>:&#0160; I’m often asked how many times a week should one exercise for optimal health.&#0160; The answer is <strong>7 days a week</strong> for a minimum of an hour.&#0160; If you live a sedentary life, start walking.&#0160; Instead of plopping your butt in front of the TV with a bag of chips and a beer, or wine and cheese.&#0160; Get moving and go for a brisk walk.&#0160; It’s easy, free of cost and you will feel better when you’re done.&#0160; If you’re already active, try switching up your routine, or increase the training intensity.&#0160; As the ad goes, “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Just do it">Just Do It</a>”.</li> <li><strong>Sleep</strong>:&#0160; This is one of my areas where I can certainly improve.&#0160; <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/01/the-sleep-mistake-many-of-us-make.html" target="_blank" title="Sleep">Sleep is critical for the body to recover</a>, especially for those of us that are active.&#0160; I’ve written on this topic before and I have two suggestions, 1) go to bed this week 30 to 60 minutes earlier, and 2) get into a pre-bed routine that reduces the exposure to TV, Computers, and work e-mails.&#0160; Making these two changes will increase the quantity and quality of your sleep, thereby increasing your body’s ability to recover and be energized for the next day.</li> <li><strong>De-stress Your Life: </strong>&#0160;I look at stress as being both negative and positive.&#0160; The stress that you place upon yourself to improve and drive yourself to new levels is positive.&#0160; By its very nature, healthy stress is a motivator.&#0160; It makes us better people.&#0160; Having just watched the Olympics for the past 17 days, we witnessed incredible performances that were the result of positive stress.&#0160; While at the same time these very same athletes do everything in their power to eliminate all negative stress from their lives.&#0160; If you have issues at work, or within your family that are causing internal turmoil, deal with it, because the stress is unhealthy and will affect your ability to sleep, exercise and eat properly.&#0160; The good thing about negative stress, it’s usually within your power to control, or eliminate.&#0160; But like most things pertaining to health, it requires action on your part to make it happen.&#0160; </li> <li><strong>Drink H2O:</strong>&#0160; With all the exotic drinks that are available these days, there’s still nothing better than good old fashion water (even our tap water).&#0160; Water is the ultimate energy drink and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.&#0160; If you eat a healthy diet, there’s no need for vitamin water, energy drinks, sports drink, electrolyte replacement drinks, etc, etc.&#0160; And if there’s just one thing you take away from this post that will make a huge change in your energy levels, <strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/05/who-banned-my-soda-pop.html" target="_blank" title="Soda Pop">stop drinking soda pop</a></strong>.&#0160; Just remember, the majority of the human body is water and it needs approximately 2 litres (67 oz) every day, and more depending on the intensity of your exercise. &#0160;If you want to turn you water into a more exotic drink, slice up a lemon, lime or orange for some flavour.&#0160; <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Cheer">Finally a word on alcohol</a>; if you’re female, more than 1 drink a day is considered unhealthy and 2 drinks a day for men.&#0160; Many of our chronic diseases are directly attributed to the increase in social drinking habits, especially amongst women. </li> <li><strong>Find and Fuel Your Passion:</strong>&#0160; Anyone that&#39;s met me for more than 5 minutes will know my passion is cycling.&#0160; Living your passion fuels your spirit.&#0160; Finding and living your passion is a key criterion for living a quality life.&#0160; &#0160;If you don’t know what your passion is, list the things you used to love doing and start doing them again until one emerges.&#0160; People often lose their way when they live without something they love to do that defines who they are. &#0160;If you know what your passion is, but aren’t doing it, now’s the time to stop procrastinating and make it happen.&#0160; You’re body and soul will thank you.</li> </ol> <p>I placed 2<sup>nd</sup> overall in that Gran Fondo and after 170km of hard racing, it came down to a sprint finish between three of us and I was edged out by a wheel at the line by the guy in the front of this picture.&#0160; This picture was taken after 160km of racing with only 10km to go and by this point, we were all sufferring.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="GF Rockies" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="GF Rockies" /></a></p> <p>After we finished the other two guys I sprinted with were surprised that a 56 year old guy could compete with guys that were 15 to 25 years younger.&#0160; The answer was simple and contained in the 6 points listed above.&#0160;</p> <p>For the most part, I eat well (most of the time), I train every day (a day off is the exception), maybe if I got a little more sleep, I could have beaten the other guy to the line (note to self, go to bed 30 minutes earlier, starting this week), I drink approximately 4 litres of water every day to fuel my body, I deal with all stressors in my life and eliminate the negative ones that affect my wellness and finally, I know my passion and enjoy doing&#0160;it every day.</p> <p>Implementing these 6 basic rules will certainly increase the quality of your life.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride...Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding - 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c" height="233" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c-800wi" title="AZ Riding - 2" width="309" /></a></p> <p>Over the weekend I participated in the <a href="http://www.granfondorockies.ca/" target="_blank" title="GF Rockies">Gran Fondo Rockies </a>170km cycling “race”.&#0160; Well, they say it’s not a race, but hey, they give you a number, a time and the top 5 male and female finishers were awarded prize money.&#0160; So as far as I can tell, it had all the characteristics of a race.&#0160;</p> <p>Training for a 170km bike race, or just trying to increase the basic quality of your life requires 6 key criteria.&#0160;If you follow these 6 basic rules, you will enjoy increased energy levels (at any age).&#0160;</p> <ol> <li><strong>Eat Healthy, (Most of the Time):</strong>&#0160; I have to admit, I have a sweet tooth and I love French Fries and Onion Rings.&#0160; That said, I rarely eat this stuff because over the years, I’ve made small changes to my diet whereby I don’t crave it.&#0160; When grocery shopping, stick to the outside aisles, because that’s where you’ll find the healthy whole food and avoid the inside aisles where they stock the processed foods that are accountable for the health crisis in North America.&#0160; Over time, increase your fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains and lean meats, to the point where this becomes the majority of your calories consumed and junk food is the exception.&#0160; Finally, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/09/our-ever-growing-portion-sizes.html" target="_blank" title="Portions">watch your portions</a>.&#0160; North Americans eat way too much and generally have no idea what a healthy portion looks like.</li> <li><strong>Keep Moving &amp; Move More</strong>:&#0160; I’m often asked how many times a week should one exercise for optimal health.&#0160; The answer is <strong>7 days a week</strong> for a minimum of an hour.&#0160; If you live a sedentary life, start walking.&#0160; Instead of plopping your butt in front of the TV with a bag of chips and a beer, or wine and cheese.&#0160; Get moving and go for a brisk walk.&#0160; It’s easy, free of cost and you will feel better when you’re done.&#0160; If you’re already active, try switching up your routine, or increase the training intensity.&#0160; As the ad goes, “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Just do it">Just Do It</a>”.</li> <li><strong>Sleep</strong>:&#0160; This is one of my areas where I can certainly improve.&#0160; <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/01/the-sleep-mistake-many-of-us-make.html" target="_blank" title="Sleep">Sleep is critical for the body to recover</a>, especially for those of us that are active.&#0160; I’ve written on this topic before and I have two suggestions, 1) go to bed this week 30 to 60 minutes earlier, and 2) get into a pre-bed routine that reduces the exposure to TV, Computers, and work e-mails.&#0160; Making these two changes will increase the quantity and quality of your sleep, thereby increasing your body’s ability to recover and be energized for the next day.</li> <li><strong>De-stress Your Life: </strong>&#0160;I look at stress as being both negative and positive.&#0160; The stress that you place upon yourself to improve and drive yourself to new levels is positive.&#0160; By its very nature, healthy stress is a motivator.&#0160; It makes us better people.&#0160; Having just watched the Olympics for the past 17 days, we witnessed incredible performances that were the result of positive stress.&#0160; While at the same time these very same athletes do everything in their power to eliminate all negative stress from their lives.&#0160; If you have issues at work, or within your family that are causing internal turmoil, deal with it, because the stress is unhealthy and will affect your ability to sleep, exercise and eat properly.&#0160; The good thing about negative stress, it’s usually within your power to control, or eliminate.&#0160; But like most things pertaining to health, it requires action on your part to make it happen.&#0160; </li> <li><strong>Drink H2O:</strong>&#0160; With all the exotic drinks that are available these days, there’s still nothing better than good old fashion water (even our tap water).&#0160; Water is the ultimate energy drink and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.&#0160; If you eat a healthy diet, there’s no need for vitamin water, energy drinks, sports drink, electrolyte replacement drinks, etc, etc.&#0160; And if there’s just one thing you take away from this post that will make a huge change in your energy levels, <strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/05/who-banned-my-soda-pop.html" target="_blank" title="Soda Pop">stop drinking soda pop</a></strong>.&#0160; Just remember, the majority of the human body is water and it needs approximately 2 litres (67 oz) every day, and more depending on the intensity of your exercise. &#0160;If you want to turn you water into a more exotic drink, slice up a lemon, lime or orange for some flavour.&#0160; <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Cheer">Finally a word on alcohol</a>; if you’re female, more than 1 drink a day is considered unhealthy and 2 drinks a day for men.&#0160; Many of our chronic diseases are directly attributed to the increase in social drinking habits, especially amongst women. </li> <li><strong>Find and Fuel Your Passion:</strong>&#0160; Anyone that&#39;s met me for more than 5 minutes will know my passion is cycling.&#0160; Living your passion fuels your spirit.&#0160; Finding and living your passion is a key criterion for living a quality life.&#0160; &#0160;If you don’t know what your passion is, list the things you used to love doing and start doing them again until one emerges.&#0160; People often lose their way when they live without something they love to do that defines who they are. &#0160;If you know what your passion is, but aren’t doing it, now’s the time to stop procrastinating and make it happen.&#0160; You’re body and soul will thank you.</li> </ol> <p>I placed 2<sup>nd</sup> overall in that Gran Fondo and after 170km of hard racing, it came down to a sprint finish between three of us and I was edged out by a wheel at the line by the guy in the front of this picture.&#0160; This picture was taken after 160km of racing with only 10km to go and by this point, we were all sufferring.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="GF Rockies" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017744205405970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="GF Rockies" /></a></p> <p>After we finished the other two guys I sprinted with were surprised that a 56 year old guy could compete with guys that were 15 to 25 years younger.&#0160; The answer was simple and contained in the 6 points listed above.&#0160;</p> <p>For the most part, I eat well (most of the time), I train every day (a day off is the exception), maybe if I got a little more sleep, I could have beaten the other guy to the line (note to self, go to bed 30 minutes earlier, starting this week), I drink approximately 4 litres of water every day to fuel my body, I deal with all stressors in my life and eliminate the negative ones that affect my wellness and finally, I know my passion and enjoy doing&#0160;it every day.</p> <p>Implementing these 6 basic rules will certainly increase the quality of your life.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride...Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding - 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c" height="233" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176173620dd970c-800wi" title="AZ Riding - 2" width="309" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0177438dc07f970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-07-23T21:33:19Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017616a744a8970cNot Enough Time for Your Health & Wellness - Try Outsourcinghttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-07-23T21:33:18Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>In my last post I shared the transformation story of <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/07/action-flicks-the-switch-an-inspirational-story.html" target="_blank" title="Peter LeClaire">Peter LeClaire</a>; &#0160;a guy that went from 245lbs to 165lbs in less than a year.&#0160; He celebrated this accomplishment by racing in one of the toughest single day cycling events, the Etape du Tour, a 200km race over 4 Category Mountain passes.&#0160; Peter’s transformation back to health and fitness was the result of making <strong>time</strong> for the things that were important to him and that aligned with his goal of taking control of his personal health by eliminating or outsourcing the things that&#0160;were no longer&#0160;important.&#0160;</p> <p>In this blog, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les">Dr Les </a>provides some great advice to follow if you catch yourself making excuses because you have no time for your health and wellness.&#0160; Think about all the things you do in your busy life and ask yourself what value each brings to your overall health and well being.&#0160; If they don’t contribute value, consider outsourcing them so you can focus on what’s truly of value.&#0160; And this doesn&#39;t mean to outsourse just so you can work more hours than you already do.</p> <p>My wife and I agree that cleaning the house adds no value to our well being and takes away time from the things we enjoy, so we outsource it.&#0160; Many of my neighbours outsource their lawn cutting duties to someone else, (I actually enjoy maintaining my lawn, so I do it myself).&#0160; The point is everyone is different.&#0160; So take a mental inventory of the things you do and consider outsourcing those activities and chores that prevent you from taking control of your health and wellness and let someone else deal with stuff that gets in the way.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Axel Merckx Gran Fondo web 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d" height="294" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d-800wi" title="Axel Merckx Gran Fondo web 2" width="187" /></a></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">&quot;Great idea! If only I had the time! “</span></strong></p> <p>Great idea! if only I had time! This is a common refrain from patients when I suggest that they would benefit from a change in their lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if I recommend they increase their level of exercise or decrease the number of visits to fast food restaurants. Their answer is almost always the same. &quot;Great idea Doc! If only I had the time! “ Even a small change seems overwhelming.</p> <p>My patients are intelligent people. They readily see the merits of my recommendations but between getting the kids to soccer practice, buying groceries, keeping up with work responsibilities, household chores and volunteer commitments, their time is already maxed out. Even if they wanted to, they don’t have time to cook dinner every night or get to the gym every morning. &#0160;Somehow the days become weeks and then months…until suddenly they realize that they haven’t exercised in years and the last time their family sat down to dinner was…well, they can’t remember when.</p> <p>This conundrum of wanting to do something but not having the time was reflected in a recent Maclean’s article titled, <em><a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/05/15/life-with-help-how-did-we-get-so-useless/" target="_blank" title="Maclean&#39;s ">Outsourcing our Lives</a>, </em>the trend to use outside resources and expertise to help with our day-to-day chores.&#0160; But even if our wealth makes it possible to <em>outsource</em> painting the fence and our position gives us an underground parking spot, we all are constrained by one thing—time.</p> <p><strong>Everyone has the same 168 hours in a week!</strong></p> <p><em>Outsourcing</em> is a great strategy but obviously not everything can be outsourced. No matter how time consuming it is, we can’t hand over the activities associated with maintaining our personal relationships or sustaining our physical, emotional and spiritual well- being.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Outsourcing_housework" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Outsourcing_housework" /></a><br />As much as it would be great to hire someone to exercise for you or eat your vegetables—it can’t be done! Even if you hire someone to buy your partner or your children a birthday present and someone else to bake them a cake, you still have to spend time with them in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling relationship. Not everything can be outsourced.</p> <p>The bottom line is that you have to prioritize the activities that you can’t delegate or <em>outsource</em>. The top three barriers to prioritizing are:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Perfectionisim</strong>—It is stressful and unrealistic to try to eat, sleep and exercise optimally every day. Lay out an ideal plan and aim to be 90% compliant. For example: If you eat 5 times a day that is 35 times a week. Give yourself permission to be perfect 30 of the 35 times.</li> <li><strong>High expectations</strong>—Establish clear and realistic objectives. &#0160;Your exercise regime will be different if your objective is good health compared to training for performance. Ask WHY and then establish HOW.</li> <li><strong>A complex lifestyle with many competing priorities</strong>— The promise of more free time has not materialized. Technology does not always make our lives simpler. Blackberries, Bluetooth, Twitter and Tweets require us to be available 24/7 or at least to feel like we are supposed to be available.</li> </ol> <p>How do we overcome these barriers? Here are my top five tips:</p> <ol> <li>Outsource/ Delegate: Accept that it is an inefficient use of your time and energy for you to do some tasks. If you don’t increase value or receive pleasure from an activity, then consider outsourcing it. If you don’t enjoy cooking, hire a personal chef. Don’t scoff—this is easier and less expensive than you think. (Just make sure they cook healthy meals!)</li> <li>Don’t try to balance <em>the ideal day</em>. Balance a week instead. Attempting to fit in all the things you should do in a day is difficult. It is better to look at the pattern of a week.</li> <li>Combine your activities. If your goal is to exercise every day, get some of your exercise while walking the dog or working in the garden.&#0160;&#0160;</li> <li>Have family members contribute. Many hands make light work. It is impressive how much easier projects around the house are when the kids contribute.</li> <li>Conquer the time management challenge. Be more attentive to the important things—family, exercise, fun, time off—things that you can’t outsource. &#0160;You will find you have better health which results in increased energy and a larger capacity to enjoy the things that are really important—the things that bring life meaning and joy.</li> </ol> <p>Of course as often happens when you are dispensing advice it causes you to look in the mirror. I must admit that I could be a more effective outsourcer and delegator.&#0160; I could have outsourced the writing of this blog post and had more sleep last night, more time with my family and a longer bike ride this morning!</p> <p>When I am sorting out my priorities I have to remind myself of a favorite quote, “<strong><em>In life you can have anything you want. You just can’t have everything you want</em></strong>.”</p> <p>What have you outsourced and what have you outsourced that you wished you had done differently?</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr Les</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d" height="277" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="219" /></a></p> <p>In my last post I shared the transformation story of <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/07/action-flicks-the-switch-an-inspirational-story.html" target="_blank" title="Peter LeClaire">Peter LeClaire</a>; &#0160;a guy that went from 245lbs to 165lbs in less than a year.&#0160; He celebrated this accomplishment by racing in one of the toughest single day cycling events, the Etape du Tour, a 200km race over 4 Category Mountain passes.&#0160; Peter’s transformation back to health and fitness was the result of making <strong>time</strong> for the things that were important to him and that aligned with his goal of taking control of his personal health by eliminating or outsourcing the things that&#0160;were no longer&#0160;important.&#0160;</p> <p>In this blog, <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les">Dr Les </a>provides some great advice to follow if you catch yourself making excuses because you have no time for your health and wellness.&#0160; Think about all the things you do in your busy life and ask yourself what value each brings to your overall health and well being.&#0160; If they don’t contribute value, consider outsourcing them so you can focus on what’s truly of value.&#0160; And this doesn&#39;t mean to outsourse just so you can work more hours than you already do.</p> <p>My wife and I agree that cleaning the house adds no value to our well being and takes away time from the things we enjoy, so we outsource it.&#0160; Many of my neighbours outsource their lawn cutting duties to someone else, (I actually enjoy maintaining my lawn, so I do it myself).&#0160; The point is everyone is different.&#0160; So take a mental inventory of the things you do and consider outsourcing those activities and chores that prevent you from taking control of your health and wellness and let someone else deal with stuff that gets in the way.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Axel Merckx Gran Fondo web 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d" height="294" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d6ea7970d-800wi" title="Axel Merckx Gran Fondo web 2" width="187" /></a></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">&quot;Great idea! If only I had the time! “</span></strong></p> <p>Great idea! if only I had time! This is a common refrain from patients when I suggest that they would benefit from a change in their lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if I recommend they increase their level of exercise or decrease the number of visits to fast food restaurants. Their answer is almost always the same. &quot;Great idea Doc! If only I had the time! “ Even a small change seems overwhelming.</p> <p>My patients are intelligent people. They readily see the merits of my recommendations but between getting the kids to soccer practice, buying groceries, keeping up with work responsibilities, household chores and volunteer commitments, their time is already maxed out. Even if they wanted to, they don’t have time to cook dinner every night or get to the gym every morning. &#0160;Somehow the days become weeks and then months…until suddenly they realize that they haven’t exercised in years and the last time their family sat down to dinner was…well, they can’t remember when.</p> <p>This conundrum of wanting to do something but not having the time was reflected in a recent Maclean’s article titled, <em><a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/05/15/life-with-help-how-did-we-get-so-useless/" target="_blank" title="Maclean&#39;s ">Outsourcing our Lives</a>, </em>the trend to use outside resources and expertise to help with our day-to-day chores.&#0160; But even if our wealth makes it possible to <em>outsource</em> painting the fence and our position gives us an underground parking spot, we all are constrained by one thing—time.</p> <p><strong>Everyone has the same 168 hours in a week!</strong></p> <p><em>Outsourcing</em> is a great strategy but obviously not everything can be outsourced. No matter how time consuming it is, we can’t hand over the activities associated with maintaining our personal relationships or sustaining our physical, emotional and spiritual well- being.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Outsourcing_housework" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d80d0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Outsourcing_housework" /></a><br />As much as it would be great to hire someone to exercise for you or eat your vegetables—it can’t be done! Even if you hire someone to buy your partner or your children a birthday present and someone else to bake them a cake, you still have to spend time with them in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling relationship. Not everything can be outsourced.</p> <p>The bottom line is that you have to prioritize the activities that you can’t delegate or <em>outsource</em>. The top three barriers to prioritizing are:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Perfectionisim</strong>—It is stressful and unrealistic to try to eat, sleep and exercise optimally every day. Lay out an ideal plan and aim to be 90% compliant. For example: If you eat 5 times a day that is 35 times a week. Give yourself permission to be perfect 30 of the 35 times.</li> <li><strong>High expectations</strong>—Establish clear and realistic objectives. &#0160;Your exercise regime will be different if your objective is good health compared to training for performance. Ask WHY and then establish HOW.</li> <li><strong>A complex lifestyle with many competing priorities</strong>— The promise of more free time has not materialized. Technology does not always make our lives simpler. Blackberries, Bluetooth, Twitter and Tweets require us to be available 24/7 or at least to feel like we are supposed to be available.</li> </ol> <p>How do we overcome these barriers? Here are my top five tips:</p> <ol> <li>Outsource/ Delegate: Accept that it is an inefficient use of your time and energy for you to do some tasks. If you don’t increase value or receive pleasure from an activity, then consider outsourcing it. If you don’t enjoy cooking, hire a personal chef. Don’t scoff—this is easier and less expensive than you think. (Just make sure they cook healthy meals!)</li> <li>Don’t try to balance <em>the ideal day</em>. Balance a week instead. Attempting to fit in all the things you should do in a day is difficult. It is better to look at the pattern of a week.</li> <li>Combine your activities. If your goal is to exercise every day, get some of your exercise while walking the dog or working in the garden.&#0160;&#0160;</li> <li>Have family members contribute. Many hands make light work. It is impressive how much easier projects around the house are when the kids contribute.</li> <li>Conquer the time management challenge. Be more attentive to the important things—family, exercise, fun, time off—things that you can’t outsource. &#0160;You will find you have better health which results in increased energy and a larger capacity to enjoy the things that are really important—the things that bring life meaning and joy.</li> </ol> <p>Of course as often happens when you are dispensing advice it causes you to look in the mirror. I must admit that I could be a more effective outsourcer and delegator.&#0160; I could have outsourced the writing of this blog post and had more sleep last night, more time with my family and a longer bike ride this morning!</p> <p>When I am sorting out my priorities I have to remind myself of a favorite quote, “<strong><em>In life you can have anything you want. You just can’t have everything you want</em></strong>.”</p> <p>What have you outsourced and what have you outsourced that you wished you had done differently?</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr Les</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d" height="277" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177438d79cf970d-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="219" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016768888e50970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-07-16T03:48:11Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017743627faf970dAction Flicks the Switch - an inspirational storyhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-07-16T03:48:11Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">I’ve often said the intent of writing my blog is to provide people with information that when put into action will improve the quality of their life.&#0160; Except for the number comments and emails I receive from time to time, I really don’t know the personal impact I have on the thousands of people that tune in from time to time....that is until this past year!</p> <p>The saying, “<strong>Knowledge is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch</strong>” is epitomized by <strong>Peter LeClair</strong>.&#0160; &#0160;Let me introduce you to Peter.&#0160; Last summer, Peter weighed an unhealthy 245lbs (a BMI of 33.5 or considered obese) and at the age of 53, this kind of weight carries all kinds of health risks that I’ve discussed in numerous posts.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Before" /></a>Even at this weight, Peter is an avid cyclist and through a chance guided bike ride through the South of France with my step-brother (<a href="http://gerrypatt.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Gerry Patterson">Gerry Patterson</a>), I was introduced to Peter. &#0160;You see, Peter had a dream of competing in a bike race held every year in conjunction with the <a href="http://www.letour.fr/indexTDF_us.html" target="_blank" title="Tour de France">Tour de France</a>.&#0160; The race is called <strong>Etape du Tour</strong> &#0160;and there are two events; <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="Act 1">Act 1 - held in the French Alps </a>and <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/homepage.html" target="_blank" title="Act 2">Act 2&#0160;- held&#0160;in the French Pyrenees</a>.&#0160; Peter elected to participate in Act 2, the longer and more difficult of the two races.&#0160; Act 2 is a grueling 201km trek over four monster mountain passes unlike anything we see on this side of the North American side of the ocean and will be ridden by the pro riders in the Tour de France a few days after he rides it.&#0160; Every year, the&#0160;Etape du Tour attracts approximately 9000 cyclists participate and this year was no exception.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EDT12_ETAPE_Pau_Bagneres" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c-800wi" title="EDT12_ETAPE_Pau_Bagneres" /></a></p> <p>When I first spoke to Peter, he told me about this dream and was looking for a little training advice, while at the same time telling me he was a “little” overweight. &#0160;&#0160;You could imagine my reaction when his actual weight was revealed, because Etape du Tour is for the most seriously fit cyclists and although Peter was motivated, he wasn’t in any condition to attempt such a ride.&#0160; In fact, I told him his first order of business was to focus on his health.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter France 2011" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter France 2011" /></a><br />Every few years, I personally coach&#0160;a few&#0160;people; sometimes it’s an athlete wanting to improve their athletic performance; other times it’s to assist someone determined to transform their lifestyle.&#0160; With Peter, I did both.&#0160;</p> <p>Since I don’t charge fees for my services, my only reward is to see someone like Peter transform their life while watching&#0160;their physical and psychological changes.&#0160; I only have four criteria before working with someone, because if I’m going to invest my time I need to know they are equally motivated and driven by a larger purpose than just vanity.&#0160; These include:</p> <ol> <li>100% support from their significant other (it&#39;s&#0160;almost impossible&#0160;to make this kind of lifestyle transformation if the other people in the home aren&#39;t on the same page)</li> <li>Committed to a&#0160;long term (as in decades) purpose to why they’re making this change (short term goals like just losing weight won’t get you through the tough days)</li> <li>Commitment to my suggested dietary and exercise changes (it took years to become unhealthy, it’s tough to replace bad habits with new healthy ones)</li> <li>Take responsibility and agree that you alone are responsible for your health (good or bad)</li> </ol> <p>Peter met my criteria in spades and we started working together in early October last year (10 months ago).&#0160;</p> <p>Peter was initially focussed on wanting to weigh less than 200lbs in preparation for Etape, while I just wanted him to focus on his health.&#0160; To set the appropriate weight expectation, I asked Peter what he weighed in his final year of High School, and he said around 170lbs.&#0160; I said, “Well that’s the weight you will be next summer”.&#0160; Peter thought I was nuts, as a 75lb weight loss seemed unrealistic. I simply said, “Stop worrying about weight, because if you live a healthy lifestyle, your weight will take care of itself.” &#0160;There’s no reason why anyone should gain weight throughout their life if they eat properly, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024" target="_blank" title="Mayo">limit alcohol consumption </a>and <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise - Just do It">exercise regularly</a>.&#0160; Most excuses I hear why someone gains weight&#0160;throughout their life are simply that, excuses for a lazy and unhealthy lifestyle.</p> <p>I won’t take you through the detail of Peter’s transformation program, other than to say, I provided him with a daily workout schedule and a dietary plan with general concepts and rules and Peter followed the program to the letter.&#0160; Again, knowledge may be key, but more important was Peter&#39;s dedication to turn this&#0160;knowledge into action.</p> <p>Peter’s journey just to get him to the Etape de Tour starting line is a great success story, as he had to lose approximately 1/3 of his body weight in addition to train hard enough to be sufficiently prepared to endure over 200km of the toughest cycling conditions that would make the most seasoned pro cyclist&#0160;lose sleep&#0160;with anxiety.&#0160; Peter not only met his goal, but surpassed it, as he transformed his lifestyle and attitude towards his personal health&#0160;and as a side benefit he ultimately weighed in at a healthy 165lbs on race day.&#0160; A loss of 80lbs in 10 months.</p> <p>Below is&#0160;the transformed Peter, sporting his great riding form in&#0160;his size MEDIUM cycling kit.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Now Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Now Web" /></a>Providing Peter the information to make his transformation possible was important, but as the saying goes, “<strong>Information is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch</strong>.&#0160; And Peter flicked that switch.&#0160; He switched his dietary practices and for the most part followed my guidelines and rules.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter training" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter training" /></a><br />And when it came to training, Peter rarely missed a scheuled workout (many in his basement as pictured above during the cold Canadian winter months), even when he felt like taking a day off.&#0160; And believe me&#0160;it was a tough program, which had to be&#0160;proportional to the event he was perparing for.&#0160; Peter demonstrated the kind of determination, commitment and never ending positive attitude that’s usually reserved for Olympic champions. &#0160;</p> <p>The day before Peter competed in Etape, I emailed and told him regardless of how he performed in the race, he was already and winner.&#0160;&#0160;Below, Peter standing in front of a motivational poster the day before the big race.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter LeClair 1" /></a><br />Race day was this past Saturday (July 14) and I’m delighted to report that both Peter and my step-brother Gerry (who also raced Etape du Tour - Act 1 the previous weekend)&#0160;completed the Etape du Tour - Act 2&#0160;in what were horrific wet and cold conditions.&#0160; I’m hoping Peter will provide a guest blog describing his journey back to health as his story is one of inspiration, determination and what it&#39;s like to live&#0160;in the world of the possibility.&#0160;</p> <p>Peter in full flight living his dream of health and competing in 2012 Etape du Tour.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 4" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter LeClair 4" /></a></p> <p>Enjoy the Ride ... Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Yellow Jersey" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c" height="137" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c-800wi" title="Yellow Jersey" width="198" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I’ve often said the intent of writing my blog is to provide people with information that when put into action will improve the quality of their life.&#0160; Except for the number comments and emails I receive from time to time, I really don’t know the personal impact I have on the thousands of people that tune in from time to time....that is until this past year!</p> <p>The saying, “<strong>Knowledge is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch</strong>” is epitomized by <strong>Peter LeClair</strong>.&#0160; &#0160;Let me introduce you to Peter.&#0160; Last summer, Peter weighed an unhealthy 245lbs (a BMI of 33.5 or considered obese) and at the age of 53, this kind of weight carries all kinds of health risks that I’ve discussed in numerous posts.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01774362aa7c970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Before" /></a>Even at this weight, Peter is an avid cyclist and through a chance guided bike ride through the South of France with my step-brother (<a href="http://gerrypatt.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Gerry Patterson">Gerry Patterson</a>), I was introduced to Peter. &#0160;You see, Peter had a dream of competing in a bike race held every year in conjunction with the <a href="http://www.letour.fr/indexTDF_us.html" target="_blank" title="Tour de France">Tour de France</a>.&#0160; The race is called <strong>Etape du Tour</strong> &#0160;and there are two events; <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="Act 1">Act 1 - held in the French Alps </a>and <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/homepage.html" target="_blank" title="Act 2">Act 2&#0160;- held&#0160;in the French Pyrenees</a>.&#0160; Peter elected to participate in Act 2, the longer and more difficult of the two races.&#0160; Act 2 is a grueling 201km trek over four monster mountain passes unlike anything we see on this side of the North American side of the ocean and will be ridden by the pro riders in the Tour de France a few days after he rides it.&#0160; Every year, the&#0160;Etape du Tour attracts approximately 9000 cyclists participate and this year was no exception.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EDT12_ETAPE_Pau_Bagneres" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c59c9970c-800wi" title="EDT12_ETAPE_Pau_Bagneres" /></a></p> <p>When I first spoke to Peter, he told me about this dream and was looking for a little training advice, while at the same time telling me he was a “little” overweight. &#0160;&#0160;You could imagine my reaction when his actual weight was revealed, because Etape du Tour is for the most seriously fit cyclists and although Peter was motivated, he wasn’t in any condition to attempt such a ride.&#0160; In fact, I told him his first order of business was to focus on his health.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter France 2011" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c64e0970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter France 2011" /></a><br />Every few years, I personally coach&#0160;a few&#0160;people; sometimes it’s an athlete wanting to improve their athletic performance; other times it’s to assist someone determined to transform their lifestyle.&#0160; With Peter, I did both.&#0160;</p> <p>Since I don’t charge fees for my services, my only reward is to see someone like Peter transform their life while watching&#0160;their physical and psychological changes.&#0160; I only have four criteria before working with someone, because if I’m going to invest my time I need to know they are equally motivated and driven by a larger purpose than just vanity.&#0160; These include:</p> <ol> <li>100% support from their significant other (it&#39;s&#0160;almost impossible&#0160;to make this kind of lifestyle transformation if the other people in the home aren&#39;t on the same page)</li> <li>Committed to a&#0160;long term (as in decades) purpose to why they’re making this change (short term goals like just losing weight won’t get you through the tough days)</li> <li>Commitment to my suggested dietary and exercise changes (it took years to become unhealthy, it’s tough to replace bad habits with new healthy ones)</li> <li>Take responsibility and agree that you alone are responsible for your health (good or bad)</li> </ol> <p>Peter met my criteria in spades and we started working together in early October last year (10 months ago).&#0160;</p> <p>Peter was initially focussed on wanting to weigh less than 200lbs in preparation for Etape, while I just wanted him to focus on his health.&#0160; To set the appropriate weight expectation, I asked Peter what he weighed in his final year of High School, and he said around 170lbs.&#0160; I said, “Well that’s the weight you will be next summer”.&#0160; Peter thought I was nuts, as a 75lb weight loss seemed unrealistic. I simply said, “Stop worrying about weight, because if you live a healthy lifestyle, your weight will take care of itself.” &#0160;There’s no reason why anyone should gain weight throughout their life if they eat properly, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024" target="_blank" title="Mayo">limit alcohol consumption </a>and <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise - Just do It">exercise regularly</a>.&#0160; Most excuses I hear why someone gains weight&#0160;throughout their life are simply that, excuses for a lazy and unhealthy lifestyle.</p> <p>I won’t take you through the detail of Peter’s transformation program, other than to say, I provided him with a daily workout schedule and a dietary plan with general concepts and rules and Peter followed the program to the letter.&#0160; Again, knowledge may be key, but more important was Peter&#39;s dedication to turn this&#0160;knowledge into action.</p> <p>Peter’s journey just to get him to the Etape de Tour starting line is a great success story, as he had to lose approximately 1/3 of his body weight in addition to train hard enough to be sufficiently prepared to endure over 200km of the toughest cycling conditions that would make the most seasoned pro cyclist&#0160;lose sleep&#0160;with anxiety.&#0160; Peter not only met his goal, but surpassed it, as he transformed his lifestyle and attitude towards his personal health&#0160;and as a side benefit he ultimately weighed in at a healthy 165lbs on race day.&#0160; A loss of 80lbs in 10 months.</p> <p>Below is&#0160;the transformed Peter, sporting his great riding form in&#0160;his size MEDIUM cycling kit.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Now Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167c86be970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter Now Web" /></a>Providing Peter the information to make his transformation possible was important, but as the saying goes, “<strong>Information is Power, but Action Flicks the Switch</strong>.&#0160; And Peter flicked that switch.&#0160; He switched his dietary practices and for the most part followed my guidelines and rules.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter training" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887e33c970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter training" /></a><br />And when it came to training, Peter rarely missed a scheuled workout (many in his basement as pictured above during the cold Canadian winter months), even when he felt like taking a day off.&#0160; And believe me&#0160;it was a tough program, which had to be&#0160;proportional to the event he was perparing for.&#0160; Peter demonstrated the kind of determination, commitment and never ending positive attitude that’s usually reserved for Olympic champions. &#0160;</p> <p>The day before Peter competed in Etape, I emailed and told him regardless of how he performed in the race, he was already and winner.&#0160;&#0160;Below, Peter standing in front of a motivational poster the day before the big race.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0177436297d7970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter LeClair 1" /></a><br />Race day was this past Saturday (July 14) and I’m delighted to report that both Peter and my step-brother Gerry (who also raced Etape du Tour - Act 1 the previous weekend)&#0160;completed the Etape du Tour - Act 2&#0160;in what were horrific wet and cold conditions.&#0160; I’m hoping Peter will provide a guest blog describing his journey back to health as his story is one of inspiration, determination and what it&#39;s like to live&#0160;in the world of the possibility.&#0160;</p> <p>Peter in full flight living his dream of health and competing in 2012 Etape du Tour.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter LeClair 4" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676887edea970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Peter LeClair 4" /></a></p> <p>Enjoy the Ride ... Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Yellow Jersey" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c" height="137" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0176167cd490970c-800wi" title="Yellow Jersey" width="198" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017615f0adf9970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-06-29T21:54:22Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b017615f0874f970cRide to Conquer Cancerhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-06-29T21:54:21Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">A week ago I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer with seven of my work colleagues.&#0160;&#0160; We joined over 1800 cyclists from across the province of Alberta as they rode over 230km over a weekend.&#0160; Collectively our team raised over $43,000, adding to the over $8,000,000 this single event raised in the fight against cancer.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="RCC 2 blog" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="RCC 2 blog" /></a></p> <p>It’s said a picture is worth a thousand words, than I guess a video must be worth a million words.&#0160; Below is a short 10 minute video I produced to capture the event’s highlights.&#0160; Enjoy.&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;<iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=UUw33uB-bHbUM7XbUrVbgbAQ" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>My Observations:</strong></span></p> <p>The majority of the people riding in this event were your everyday person and I couldn’t find a single person that hasn’t somehow been personally affected by cancer, either personally or through a close friend or relative.&#0160;</p> <p>I write this blog with the intent to increase the quality of life through providing readers information about diet, exercise and <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Healthy Lifestyle Choices">general healthy lifestyle choices</a>.&#0160; During the weekend, I listened to the many stories about people that had cancer and lost the fight, and those that won the fight. &#0160;But as I listened, I found myself making a mental tally how many cases were the result of “bad cards” vs how many were because of “bad habits”.&#0160; It didn’t take long to realize the majority were the result of poor lifestyle choices.&#0160; Obviously, this is not a scientific study, but the point I’m trying to make, is that many people contract cancer because they have adopted unhealthy habits from their parents, or friends and without even knowing it they find themselves running directly towards a serious cancer event.&#0160;</p> <p>Too many of these cases is simply a lack of education regarding the risk factors beyond genetics.&#0160; For example, eating a diet that’s <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/07/do-you-know-your-bodys-ph-why-is-it-important.html" target="_blank" title="PH">high in acid</a>, is a breeding ground for cancer (the typical North American diet, especially soft drinks and alcohol are very acidic), or not eating foods that are high in antioxidants, that remove <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/05/oxidative-stresswhat-is-it-why-should-you-care.html" target="_blank" title="Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress">free radicals that cause oxidative stress</a>, which may lead to cancer.&#0160; In the absence of information, people will do what others do with little consideration to the consequences.</p> <p>The other comment I heard over and over again during the weekend was how cancer caught the person by surprise.&#0160; Cancer is generally a disease that takes years or decades to develop to the point of crisis.&#0160; Except for the people that were given “bad cards”, cancer should never come as a surprise.&#0160; If you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8, which is now over 55% of all Canadians), or you smoke (21% of Canadians), or you drink more than the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Drinking">safe limit of alcohol </a>(one drink a day for women, two for men), or if you don’t <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Just Do It">exercise daily</a>, etc. etc. then don’t be surprised if one day cancer knocks on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">your</span> door.&#0160; The decisions you make today about your health will affect you decades from now.</p> <p>Regardless of how or why a person contracts cancer, this disease affects more than that individual, and events such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer raise much needed awareness in addition to the funding needed for scientific research that hopeful brings a day when we live in a cancer free world.&#0160; Until that time comes, take it upon yourself and make healthy lifestyle choices for you and your loved ones.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615f0830f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615f0840c970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="RCC blog" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b" height="263" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b-800wi" title="RCC blog" width="346" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">A week ago I participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer with seven of my work colleagues.&#0160;&#0160; We joined over 1800 cyclists from across the province of Alberta as they rode over 230km over a weekend.&#0160; Collectively our team raised over $43,000, adding to the over $8,000,000 this single event raised in the fight against cancer.&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="RCC 2 blog" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6e44970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="RCC 2 blog" /></a></p> <p>It’s said a picture is worth a thousand words, than I guess a video must be worth a million words.&#0160; Below is a short 10 minute video I produced to capture the event’s highlights.&#0160; Enjoy.&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;<iframe frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=UUw33uB-bHbUM7XbUrVbgbAQ" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>My Observations:</strong></span></p> <p>The majority of the people riding in this event were your everyday person and I couldn’t find a single person that hasn’t somehow been personally affected by cancer, either personally or through a close friend or relative.&#0160;</p> <p>I write this blog with the intent to increase the quality of life through providing readers information about diet, exercise and <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Healthy Lifestyle Choices">general healthy lifestyle choices</a>.&#0160; During the weekend, I listened to the many stories about people that had cancer and lost the fight, and those that won the fight. &#0160;But as I listened, I found myself making a mental tally how many cases were the result of “bad cards” vs how many were because of “bad habits”.&#0160; It didn’t take long to realize the majority were the result of poor lifestyle choices.&#0160; Obviously, this is not a scientific study, but the point I’m trying to make, is that many people contract cancer because they have adopted unhealthy habits from their parents, or friends and without even knowing it they find themselves running directly towards a serious cancer event.&#0160;</p> <p>Too many of these cases is simply a lack of education regarding the risk factors beyond genetics.&#0160; For example, eating a diet that’s <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/07/do-you-know-your-bodys-ph-why-is-it-important.html" target="_blank" title="PH">high in acid</a>, is a breeding ground for cancer (the typical North American diet, especially soft drinks and alcohol are very acidic), or not eating foods that are high in antioxidants, that remove <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/05/oxidative-stresswhat-is-it-why-should-you-care.html" target="_blank" title="Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress">free radicals that cause oxidative stress</a>, which may lead to cancer.&#0160; In the absence of information, people will do what others do with little consideration to the consequences.</p> <p>The other comment I heard over and over again during the weekend was how cancer caught the person by surprise.&#0160; Cancer is generally a disease that takes years or decades to develop to the point of crisis.&#0160; Except for the people that were given “bad cards”, cancer should never come as a surprise.&#0160; If you are overweight (BMI greater than 24.8, which is now over 55% of all Canadians), or you smoke (21% of Canadians), or you drink more than the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Drinking">safe limit of alcohol </a>(one drink a day for women, two for men), or if you don’t <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Just Do It">exercise daily</a>, etc. etc. then don’t be surprised if one day cancer knocks on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">your</span> door.&#0160; The decisions you make today about your health will affect you decades from now.</p> <p>Regardless of how or why a person contracts cancer, this disease affects more than that individual, and events such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer raise much needed awareness in addition to the funding needed for scientific research that hopeful brings a day when we live in a cancer free world.&#0160; Until that time comes, take it upon yourself and make healthy lifestyle choices for you and your loved ones.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615f0830f970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615f0840c970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="RCC blog" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b" height="263" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767fb6bc9970b-800wi" title="RCC blog" width="346" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b017615af9caa970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-06-21T06:49:19Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba0e71970bPrevention Is Thy Curehttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-06-21T06:49:19Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I don’t talk much about my day job, but let me start off by saying, I love what I do. &#0160;I get to work in an area that aligns with my passion for health by marketing solutions that improve the quality of life by leveraging technology.&#0160; Whether it’s Personal Health Records that enable citizens to monitor their own health and wellness, and that of their loved ones, or Remote Patient Monitoring thereby empowering individuals to self monitor their condition(s) and become more aware of their own health recovery.&#0160; All the solutions I sell to government and health institutions are designed to increase health quality, while reducing overall costs.&#0160;</p> <p>I’m always surprised where I get the inspiration for my blog content.&#0160; The great thing about blogging is there is no preselected topic or a schedule to maintain.&#0160; I just write when something catches my attention and aligns with the purpose and theme of my site that I think you may be interested in reading.&#0160; And today, my inspiration came while meeting a healthcare executive that’s about to embark on an impressive transformational initiative that reminded me of an article I read in the Globe and Mail at the beginning of the year.&#0160; The title of the article was “<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/partners/wellness-model-emphasizes-illness-prevention/article4252730/" target="_blank">Wellness Model Emphasizes Illness Prevention</a>”.&#0160; &#0160;(I’ve also copied the article below for your convenience)</p> <p>I’ve often said the majority of North Americans don’t care about their health until they’re faced with a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/07/in-north-america-if-you-are-normal-weight-bmi-of-185-249-you-are-now-a-visible-minority-overweight-people-i.html" target="_blank" title="Health Crisis">health crisis </a>that forces them to care.&#0160; I’m often challenge when I say this, but how can you argue the fact that 50% of Canadian’s don’t meet the minimum physical activity and healthy eating recommendations, or 55% of Canadians and over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.&#0160; Approximately 20% of <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2011001/article/11468-eng.htm" target="_blank" title="Smoking Stats">Canadians still smoke</a> (and amazingly, male smoking is back on the rise) and <a href="http://www.drinkingandyou.com/site/can/moder.htm" target="_blank" title="Alcohol Stats">alcohol consumption</a> has increased to the point that many no longer know or choose to care what is consider unhealthy.&#0160; The Heart and Stroke Foundation published a study conducted in 2010 that an amazing 9 out of 10 Canadians are jeopardizing the quality and length of their lives by ignoring these and other risk factors that they’re in complete control of.</p> <p>In Canada, over 40% of your tax dollars feed an ever ravenous healthcare system, but did you know that the use of the system you pay into is wildly disproportionate.&#0160; People with one or more of the five major chronic illnesses consume over 66% of our health services.&#0160; If Canadian’s attitudes towards their personal health and illness prevention continue, the statistics above will surely worsen (and take note, the situation in the USA is even worse).&#0160; Healthcare institutions throughout North America and around the world are continually exploring options and solutions to keep up with the demand for health services, while at the same time the people that complain most about the quality of care are the same people that take little or no interest in their lifestyle choices that directly affect their health.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Besides being a health advocate that is concerned about the quality of health of individuals and the greater population, I’m also a businessman that is witness to a healthcare system that has the potential of either bankrupting our country if current spending trends continue, or my larger concern is that the quality of life for so many will be compromised when governments and health institutions have the difficult decision of selecting which programs are to receive funding and which ones will not because of a lack of funding.&#0160;</p> <p>So the day of waiting for the crisis has arrived at our door step.&#0160; The question is what can you do about it?&#0160; The answer has been under our noises for decades.&#0160; The cure to prevent many chronic illnesses and recover our critically ill healthcare system is one in the same....PREVENTION through <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle choices">healthy lifestyle choices</a>.&#0160;</p> <p>I’m not sure if we’re actually seeing more marketing and media push in the area of illness prevention, or if it’s just that I have a heightened sense of awareness given my passion for the topic and the career I’ve chosen.&#0160; Regardless, there seems to be more and more information available and the article below from the Globe and Mail is just one of many examples I’ve read or seen on television.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve often said, “If you don’t take time for your health today, you will have lots of time to be sick in the future”.&#0160; I’m not so sure this statement is entirely &#0160;true, because if things go unchanged and the health of North Americans continues to deteriorate at its current rate, we will run out of money to treat the volume of people with chronic illnesses and the expanding services they demand, and you may not have as much time to be sick in the future as you once thought.&#0160;</p> <p>Make your health and the health of others a lifelong priority so you can “<strong>Enjoy the Ride”....Rob</strong></p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b" height="197" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b-800wi" title="AZ Riding" width="189" /></a></p> <p>CHRONIC DISEASE</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Wellness model emphasizes illness prevention</strong></span></p> <p>The Globe and Mail</p> <p>Published Thursday, Nov. 24 2011, 2:28 PM EST</p> <p>Dr. John Haggie is a strong proponent of the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”</p> <p>As a surgeon practising in Gander, Nfld., he has first-hand experience with serious medical conditions that could be prevented with early intervention.</p> <p>Among his examples, Dr. Haggie points to a patient who is about to lose her leg due to complications of type 2 diabetes. “This outcome could have been avoided at any number of points,” he says. “Better childhood nutrition and fitness could have prevented the obesity that led to the development of this woman’s diabetes. Better drug coverage could have improved her blood glucose management. Even something as simple as having her feet checked by a nurse, which costs about $20, could have saved this woman’s leg and tens of thousands of dollars to the health care system.”</p> <p>As president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Haggie is promoting a transformation of the health care system that will focus on illness prevention and health promotion. “The current acute disease model of health care is 20 years out of date. Today, the biggest burden on the system comes from largely preventable chronic diseases and their complications,” he says, noting part of the challenge in promoting health is that many highly effective interventions are based in the community, not in hospital or doctors’ offices (for example, programs to encourage youth fitness and smoking cessation initiatives). As a result, they are not funded by medicare.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Health and Wellness" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c-800wi" title="Health and Wellness" /></a></p> <p>“We have to convince the government to invest in primary and secondary prevention initiatives. The evidence shows that an upfront investment more than pays for itself down the road,” says Michael Cloutier, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Diabetes Association. He notes that just a two per cent reduction in diabetes prevalence rates would result in a nine per cent reduction in direct health care costs.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the tools and medications that promote health are not accessible to all Canadians. Almost two-thirds of people with diabetes report that they cannot afford to comply with their prescribed therapy to effectively manage their disease. “A lot of people have to choose between paying for their rent or for their medications. Many more – especially those in remote and lower income communities – cannot afford healthy food. The result is more diabetes-related complications, poorer quality of life for these individuals and an increasing strain on our health care system,” says Mr. Cloutier. “We need to create a standard of care for chronic disease management across Canada.”</p> <p>The Canadian Medical Association is advocating for co-ordinated investments in health promotion and disease prevention that will eliminate these gaps.</p> <p>“Our goal is to ensure that by the end of the end of the next Health Care Accord, Canadians will have the best health in the world,” says Dr. Haggie.</p> <p>“There is no reason why we can’t do that. By emphasizing health promotion now, we will see results by 2020.”</p> <p>I don’t talk much about my day job, but let me start off by saying, I love what I do. &#0160;I get to work in an area that aligns with my passion for health by marketing solutions that improve the quality of life by leveraging technology.&#0160; Whether it’s Personal Health Records that enable citizens to monitor their own health and wellness, and that of their loved ones, or Remote Patient Monitoring thereby empowering individuals to self monitor their condition(s) and become more aware of their own health recovery.&#0160; All the solutions I sell to government and health institutions are designed to increase health quality, while reducing overall costs.&#0160;</p> <p>I’m always surprised where I get the inspiration for my blog content.&#0160; The great thing about blogging is there is no preselected topic or a schedule to maintain.&#0160; I just write when something catches my attention and aligns with the purpose and theme of my site that I think you may be interested in reading.&#0160; And today, my inspiration came while meeting a healthcare executive that’s about to embark on an impressive transformational initiative that reminded me of an article I read in the Globe and Mail at the beginning of the year.&#0160; The title of the article was “<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/partners/wellness-model-emphasizes-illness-prevention/article4252730/" target="_blank">Wellness Model Emphasizes Illness Prevention</a>”.&#0160; &#0160;(I’ve also copied the article below for your convenience)</p> <p>I’ve often said the majority of North Americans don’t care about their health until they’re faced with a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/07/in-north-america-if-you-are-normal-weight-bmi-of-185-249-you-are-now-a-visible-minority-overweight-people-i.html" target="_blank" title="Health Crisis">health crisis </a>that forces them to care.&#0160; I’m often challenge when I say this, but how can you argue the fact that 50% of Canadian’s don’t meet the minimum physical activity and healthy eating recommendations, or 55% of Canadians and over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.&#0160; Approximately 20% of <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2011001/article/11468-eng.htm" target="_blank" title="Smoking Stats">Canadians still smoke</a> (and amazingly, male smoking is back on the rise) and <a href="http://www.drinkingandyou.com/site/can/moder.htm" target="_blank" title="Alcohol Stats">alcohol consumption</a> has increased to the point that many no longer know or choose to care what is consider unhealthy.&#0160; The Heart and Stroke Foundation published a study conducted in 2010 that an amazing 9 out of 10 Canadians are jeopardizing the quality and length of their lives by ignoring these and other risk factors that they’re in complete control of.</p> <p>In Canada, over 40% of your tax dollars feed an ever ravenous healthcare system, but did you know that the use of the system you pay into is wildly disproportionate.&#0160; People with one or more of the five major chronic illnesses consume over 66% of our health services.&#0160; If Canadian’s attitudes towards their personal health and illness prevention continue, the statistics above will surely worsen (and take note, the situation in the USA is even worse).&#0160; Healthcare institutions throughout North America and around the world are continually exploring options and solutions to keep up with the demand for health services, while at the same time the people that complain most about the quality of care are the same people that take little or no interest in their lifestyle choices that directly affect their health.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Besides being a health advocate that is concerned about the quality of health of individuals and the greater population, I’m also a businessman that is witness to a healthcare system that has the potential of either bankrupting our country if current spending trends continue, or my larger concern is that the quality of life for so many will be compromised when governments and health institutions have the difficult decision of selecting which programs are to receive funding and which ones will not because of a lack of funding.&#0160;</p> <p>So the day of waiting for the crisis has arrived at our door step.&#0160; The question is what can you do about it?&#0160; The answer has been under our noises for decades.&#0160; The cure to prevent many chronic illnesses and recover our critically ill healthcare system is one in the same....PREVENTION through <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle choices">healthy lifestyle choices</a>.&#0160;</p> <p>I’m not sure if we’re actually seeing more marketing and media push in the area of illness prevention, or if it’s just that I have a heightened sense of awareness given my passion for the topic and the career I’ve chosen.&#0160; Regardless, there seems to be more and more information available and the article below from the Globe and Mail is just one of many examples I’ve read or seen on television.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve often said, “If you don’t take time for your health today, you will have lots of time to be sick in the future”.&#0160; I’m not so sure this statement is entirely &#0160;true, because if things go unchanged and the health of North Americans continues to deteriorate at its current rate, we will run out of money to treat the volume of people with chronic illnesses and the expanding services they demand, and you may not have as much time to be sick in the future as you once thought.&#0160;</p> <p>Make your health and the health of others a lifelong priority so you can “<strong>Enjoy the Ride”....Rob</strong></p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="AZ Riding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b" height="197" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767ba1b87970b-800wi" title="AZ Riding" width="189" /></a></p> <p>CHRONIC DISEASE</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Wellness model emphasizes illness prevention</strong></span></p> <p>The Globe and Mail</p> <p>Published Thursday, Nov. 24 2011, 2:28 PM EST</p> <p>Dr. John Haggie is a strong proponent of the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”</p> <p>As a surgeon practising in Gander, Nfld., he has first-hand experience with serious medical conditions that could be prevented with early intervention.</p> <p>Among his examples, Dr. Haggie points to a patient who is about to lose her leg due to complications of type 2 diabetes. “This outcome could have been avoided at any number of points,” he says. “Better childhood nutrition and fitness could have prevented the obesity that led to the development of this woman’s diabetes. Better drug coverage could have improved her blood glucose management. Even something as simple as having her feet checked by a nurse, which costs about $20, could have saved this woman’s leg and tens of thousands of dollars to the health care system.”</p> <p>As president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Haggie is promoting a transformation of the health care system that will focus on illness prevention and health promotion. “The current acute disease model of health care is 20 years out of date. Today, the biggest burden on the system comes from largely preventable chronic diseases and their complications,” he says, noting part of the challenge in promoting health is that many highly effective interventions are based in the community, not in hospital or doctors’ offices (for example, programs to encourage youth fitness and smoking cessation initiatives). As a result, they are not funded by medicare.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Health and Wellness" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b017615af92a6970c-800wi" title="Health and Wellness" /></a></p> <p>“We have to convince the government to invest in primary and secondary prevention initiatives. The evidence shows that an upfront investment more than pays for itself down the road,” says Michael Cloutier, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Diabetes Association. He notes that just a two per cent reduction in diabetes prevalence rates would result in a nine per cent reduction in direct health care costs.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the tools and medications that promote health are not accessible to all Canadians. Almost two-thirds of people with diabetes report that they cannot afford to comply with their prescribed therapy to effectively manage their disease. “A lot of people have to choose between paying for their rent or for their medications. Many more – especially those in remote and lower income communities – cannot afford healthy food. The result is more diabetes-related complications, poorer quality of life for these individuals and an increasing strain on our health care system,” says Mr. Cloutier. “We need to create a standard of care for chronic disease management across Canada.”</p> <p>The Canadian Medical Association is advocating for co-ordinated investments in health promotion and disease prevention that will eliminate these gaps.</p> <p>“Our goal is to ensure that by the end of the end of the next Health Care Accord, Canadians will have the best health in the world,” says Dr. Haggie.</p> <p>“There is no reason why we can’t do that. By emphasizing health promotion now, we will see results by 2020.”</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0176156769c8970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-06-13T07:27:29Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0176156721f3970cFour Habits to Live Byhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-06-13T07:27:29Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>This week, Dr Les has summarized what I shared with you in a post I wrote in November 2010 titled, &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle Choices for Positive Health">Lifestyle Choices for Positive Health</a>&quot;.&#0160; The following are the four habits to live your life by to avoid the most common chronic health issues that are so&#0160;prevalent within our healthcare institutions. If you integrate these four simple habits into your daily routine, your body will repay you with a long, healthy and active life.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>So if these habits are so simple, why do we see our healthcare institutions struggling to treat an increasing number of people with serious, preventable diseases?&#0160;</strong></p> <p>I don’t believe anyone wishes for poor health at any time in their life, but unfortunately North Americans and cultures that have adopted their&#0160;lifestyle&#0160;have not made the four habits Dr Les describes below, part of their daily routine.&#0160; They would rather wait for a serious health crisis to occur before springing into action, but unfortunately, it’s often too late and these people end up fighting poor health for the remainder of their years.</p> <p>Just remember, <strong>if you don’t make health a priority today, you will probably have plenty time to be ill in the future</strong>.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b" height="337" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" width="261" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Four Habits to Live By</strong><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.....Dr Les</span></span></p> <p>In a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/02/what_can_we_do_to_be_healthier.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les">previous blog</a>, I made the comparison of great health to great snow. Different elements in the weather determine the quality of snow just as the combination of measurable “lifestyle elements” determines the quality of our health. &#0160;</p> <p>You probably aren’t thinking about snow right now. You are probably thinking about summer vacations, building a new deck, having friends over for a BBQ. &#0160;You might have signed up for a triathalon or marathon and are wishing you had more time to train. &#0160;Life is complex with many competing priorities.</p> <p>Yet consciously or unconsciously you have made lifestyle choices that have created the habits that have determined the quality of your health. Your habits, more than your words, articulate the principles that you live by. &#0160;Your guiding principles then are your beliefs in action. In other words, what you do is a better indicator of your beliefs than what you say. The validity of the principles that guide your life is determined by the outcomes of adherence to these beliefs.</p> <p>I want to share the principles of my health paradigm.</p> <ol> <li>The body is an ecosystem that must be kept in balance.</li> <li>In order to maintain order and balance, the primary communication is through the nervous system.</li> <li>If order and balance are maintained, the body has an inner wisdom that allows it to be self-regulating and self-healing.</li> <li>Health is an outward expression of the inner state of order and balance of our body’s ecosystem.</li> </ol> <p>Our body’s ecosystem is much like the earth’s ecosystem. It is not just one element that keeps our ecosystem healthy and in a state of order and balance.</p> <p>Thurman Fleet was a distinquished WWI vetern. After surviving horrific wartime experiences and a prolonged recovery from severe injuries, he studied health and healing extensively before deciding to become a chiropractor. While I don’t agree wih all his teachings, his description of the quality of health being the interplay between four basic elements is excellent. Our health is either improved or compromised depending on how much we keep these four physical elements in balance.</p> <p>The four elements are:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Nourishment: </strong>Clean air, water and fuel for energy and the building blocks of repair.</li> <li><strong>Movement:</strong> We are designed for movement. <a href="http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-03-2011/sitting-too-much-health-hazard.html" target="_blank" title="AARP Study">Recent studies have shown that sedentary jobs increase the risk of ill health</a>. </li> <li><strong>Recovery</strong>: This is rest and the restorative miracle of sleep. Inadequate sleep results in elevation of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. This in turn leads to myriad health concerns including weight gain.</li> <li><strong>Elimination:</strong> We must eliminate the waste products of energy production and the cellular debris created with our body’s building and repair processes. Toxins inhaled, ingested or absorbed from our environment must also be eliminated.</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Four Criteria for Health" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c-800wi" title="Four Criteria for Health" /></a></p> <p>Most of my patients are aware of the importance of a good diet and regular exercise but they often ignore the value of quality sleep and regular elimination. This model (based on Fleet’s teachings) reflects the critical interplay and influence of each element of our ecosystem. Nourishment and movement directly impacts our quality of sleep and elimination, just as movement is impacted by recuperation and elimination. Ignore any of these separate elements at your peril. At some point your capacity for training will be dictated by the quality of your ecosystem!</p> <p>Remember: “First we make our habits; then they make us.”&#0160; Which is more important – sitting to watch TV or going for a bike ride or hike with your family? Your choice.&#0160;</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years....Dr Les.</p> <p>This week, Dr Les has summarized what I shared with you in a post I wrote in November 2010 titled, &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle Choices for Positive Health">Lifestyle Choices for Positive Health</a>&quot;.&#0160; The following are the four habits to live your life by to avoid the most common chronic health issues that are so&#0160;prevalent within our healthcare institutions. If you integrate these four simple habits into your daily routine, your body will repay you with a long, healthy and active life.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>So if these habits are so simple, why do we see our healthcare institutions struggling to treat an increasing number of people with serious, preventable diseases?&#0160;</strong></p> <p>I don’t believe anyone wishes for poor health at any time in their life, but unfortunately North Americans and cultures that have adopted their&#0160;lifestyle&#0160;have not made the four habits Dr Les describes below, part of their daily routine.&#0160; They would rather wait for a serious health crisis to occur before springing into action, but unfortunately, it’s often too late and these people end up fighting poor health for the remainder of their years.</p> <p>Just remember, <strong>if you don’t make health a priority today, you will probably have plenty time to be ill in the future</strong>.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b" height="337" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016767718694970b-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" width="261" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>Four Habits to Live By</strong><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.....Dr Les</span></span></p> <p>In a <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2012/02/what_can_we_do_to_be_healthier.html" target="_blank" title="Dr Les">previous blog</a>, I made the comparison of great health to great snow. Different elements in the weather determine the quality of snow just as the combination of measurable “lifestyle elements” determines the quality of our health. &#0160;</p> <p>You probably aren’t thinking about snow right now. You are probably thinking about summer vacations, building a new deck, having friends over for a BBQ. &#0160;You might have signed up for a triathalon or marathon and are wishing you had more time to train. &#0160;Life is complex with many competing priorities.</p> <p>Yet consciously or unconsciously you have made lifestyle choices that have created the habits that have determined the quality of your health. Your habits, more than your words, articulate the principles that you live by. &#0160;Your guiding principles then are your beliefs in action. In other words, what you do is a better indicator of your beliefs than what you say. The validity of the principles that guide your life is determined by the outcomes of adherence to these beliefs.</p> <p>I want to share the principles of my health paradigm.</p> <ol> <li>The body is an ecosystem that must be kept in balance.</li> <li>In order to maintain order and balance, the primary communication is through the nervous system.</li> <li>If order and balance are maintained, the body has an inner wisdom that allows it to be self-regulating and self-healing.</li> <li>Health is an outward expression of the inner state of order and balance of our body’s ecosystem.</li> </ol> <p>Our body’s ecosystem is much like the earth’s ecosystem. It is not just one element that keeps our ecosystem healthy and in a state of order and balance.</p> <p>Thurman Fleet was a distinquished WWI vetern. After surviving horrific wartime experiences and a prolonged recovery from severe injuries, he studied health and healing extensively before deciding to become a chiropractor. While I don’t agree wih all his teachings, his description of the quality of health being the interplay between four basic elements is excellent. Our health is either improved or compromised depending on how much we keep these four physical elements in balance.</p> <p>The four elements are:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Nourishment: </strong>Clean air, water and fuel for energy and the building blocks of repair.</li> <li><strong>Movement:</strong> We are designed for movement. <a href="http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-03-2011/sitting-too-much-health-hazard.html" target="_blank" title="AARP Study">Recent studies have shown that sedentary jobs increase the risk of ill health</a>. </li> <li><strong>Recovery</strong>: This is rest and the restorative miracle of sleep. Inadequate sleep results in elevation of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. This in turn leads to myriad health concerns including weight gain.</li> <li><strong>Elimination:</strong> We must eliminate the waste products of energy production and the cellular debris created with our body’s building and repair processes. Toxins inhaled, ingested or absorbed from our environment must also be eliminated.</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Four Criteria for Health" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01761565e0a6970c-800wi" title="Four Criteria for Health" /></a></p> <p>Most of my patients are aware of the importance of a good diet and regular exercise but they often ignore the value of quality sleep and regular elimination. This model (based on Fleet’s teachings) reflects the critical interplay and influence of each element of our ecosystem. Nourishment and movement directly impacts our quality of sleep and elimination, just as movement is impacted by recuperation and elimination. Ignore any of these separate elements at your peril. At some point your capacity for training will be dictated by the quality of your ecosystem!</p> <p>Remember: “First we make our habits; then they make us.”&#0160; Which is more important – sitting to watch TV or going for a bike ride or hike with your family? Your choice.&#0160;</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years....Dr Les.</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016766db4f17970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-05-28T06:11:53Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168ebdc9a50970cCommon Sense Isn’t So Common Anymore!http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-05-28T06:23:02Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I just finished my annual two week cycling training camp at my place in Arizona.&#0160; It&#39;s a place&#0160;where the weather is more conducive to early season cycling, unlike my home town&#0160;of Calgary where you can still get caught in a freak snow storm in the middle of a 100km ride.&#0160; My feelings about Calgary weather are another topic and not what I’m writing about today.&#0160;</p> <p>As I was returning home and waiting for my plane&#0160;in the Phoenix Sky Harbour airport, I stopped at the bookstore to get something to read for the 3 hours flight back to Calgary, so I picked up the current issue of Bicycling Magazine when I came across an article that I just have to share with you.&#0160; The title of the article is: “<em><a href="http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/why-johnny-cant-ride" target="_blank" title="Bicycling">Why Johnny Can’t Ride</a></em>” and I’d like to hear from you on this one.&#0160; I hope I’m not the only one that thinks the “Nanny State” filled with “Helicopter Parents” has gone too far.</p> <p>I wrote a post a while back titled, &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/05/childhood-fitness-where-did-it-go.html" target="_blank" title="No Finish Line Blog">Childhood Fitness, Where Did It Go</a>&quot;.&#0160; The topic was about the absence of kids playing in the streets and parks because of many factors including, over-protective parents that can’t let their kids out of their sight for more than a nano-second, and the fact that today’s children are addicted to video games and monitors (TV, Computers, etc), which are both contributing to the probability if a child is under the age 16 they will live a shorter and less healthy life than their parents (if that can even be possible, judging by the current health of North Americans adults today).&#0160;</p> <p>The more I read this article about Adam&#39;s situation, the more piss-off I got.&#0160; It’s a long article so let me give you the “Cole’s Notes Version”.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ride-to-school-1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ride-to-school-1" /></a><br /><em>This is a story about a seventh-grader at Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs, New York.&#0160; His name is Adam Mario and he’s getting a firsthand lesson in civil&#0160;disobedience. The 12-year-old and his mother, Janette Marino, are defying Saratoga Springs school policy by <strong>riding his bike to school</strong>; yes, you read that correctly, for biking to school.&#0160; Something we as kids took for granted and were encouraged; in fact, we had two ways to get to school back then; you either walked, or rode your bike.&#0160; Adam rides about 4 miles (6.4km), each way to school and his mother rides with him to ensure his safety.&#0160; &#0160;By the way, this is something my mother at that age would never do, nor would I want her because I enjoyed the confidence my parents had in me, not to mention the feeling of independence.&#0160; So when Adam and his mother arrived at his school, they were met by school officials and a State Trooper who informed them that such an act was extremely dangerous, strictly prohibited and she would have to come back to the school and pick up his bike.&#0160; They went on further to say the only two modes of transportation to and from the school were bus or car. </em></p> <p><em>Janette Marino believes they didn’t do anything wrong and that it’s none of the state or school’s business what form of transportation she uses to get their son to school, as long as he gets there on time.&#0160; Besides, Adam would be one less child why the school has to buy another polluting bus, or idling car that sits in front of the school during pick up and drop off time.&#0160; The Marino’s &#0160;are part of a small, but growing number of parents challenging the sedentary habits of today&#39;s youths and what they view as overanxious &quot;helicopter parenting”, where “Free Range” children is considered irresponsible parenting. &#0160;To these modern day parents, the thought of sending their children out the door to participate in unsupervised play, or to let them walk to school themselves is simply unthinkable.&#0160; So the Marino&#39;s basically said to hell with you; try and stop us.</em></p> <p><em>Riding his 21-speed Giant mountain bike to school benefits Adam Marino&#39;s health and the environment, but state and school believe that biking and walking (which is also banded, believe me, I can’t make this stuff up) are too dangerous for middle school aged children to handle, although no walking or bike accidents have ever been reported on the school’s road.</em></p> <p>So that’s the summary of this story; read the full story to fill in the gaps and I’m sure you will shake your head like my wife and I did.&#0160; There are many social issues one can comment on a story like this, especially given the health of the typical North American.&#0160; Given the theme of my blog I will focus on two that I believe are contributing negatively to the health of our children:</p> <p>1)&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Helicopter Parenting</p> <p>2)&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Health is Not a Priority</p> <p><strong>Helicopter Parenting</strong>:&#0160; I’m not sure when it happened, but over the decades since I was a kid, parents have become so protective of their children, it’s now affecting their health.&#0160; And for the most part, they fear something that’s not real and only in their mind.&#0160; This fear is further manifested when they hear about the one or two child abduction cases that are sensationalized by the media.&#0160; They fear if their children play too out of their sight that bad shit will happen to them, when in fact this kind of smothering is one of the causes why we have so many obese children.</p> <p>My father who’s now 87 told me a great when he was a young lad of 7 or 8 years old, growing up in Scotland.&#0160; He and his best friend set out to ride their bikes from Edinburgh Scotland to Blackpool England a distance of 320km (one way) with no parent supervision.&#0160; They had a map, (which they could read and understand), a few shillings in their pockets to buy some food and shelter, and good health to get them there and back!&#0160; Remember, I’m talking about two 7 year old boys and the only thing my Grandmother said to him as he set off, was to ride safe (oh yea, and they weren&#39;t wearing helmets).&#0160; This could never happen in today’s culture, because every stranger is considered a potential kidnapper, or worse and what would happen if their little sweethearts fell.&#0160; Not to mention, most children are so out of shape they could never physically consider such a trip.&#0160; Finally,&#0160;today&#39;s children are&#0160;driven to all their activities, so they have no idea how to navigate much further than a few hundred meters from their front door.&#0160; If today’s Child Services ever caught wind of such parental freedom for their children, they would have locked my Grandmother up for being an irresponsible parent.&#0160; (By the way, the two lads only made it as far as Carlisle in Northern England, because they realized they would run out of money.&#0160; &#0160;Even still, they rode a total distance of 320km and spent a couple nights on their own staying at youth hostels!)&#0160;</p> <p>This story is so extreme by today’s standards, were “Free Range” play for children is such a rarity.&#0160; Except for organized hockey where my father was the coach, we never participated in any organized play, however we were always playing sports in the fields, climbing trees, riding our bikes, playing touch football and scrub baseball.&#0160; And there was never a parent watching over our shoulder.&#0160; This unnatural act that parents have developed prevents their children to roam free and play naturally.&#0160; By restricting the movement’s like we see today, says to children that their parents can’t trust them to be responsible for their decisions and actions.&#0160; No wonder children are so rebelious today.&#0160; And when combined with the Nintendo Culture of sitting their little fat behinds in front of a monitor for 5 to 6 hours a day you have&#0160;a major contributor to the obesity epidemic we find in our young people today.</p> <p><strong>Health is Not a Priority</strong>: the fact that the majority of North Americans are not healthy means that health is no longer a priority in many people’s lives.&#0160; The statistics don’t lie and the costs to our healthcare system are out of control as a direct outcome.&#0160; If health isn’t a priority for the parents, it’s certainly not going to be a priority for their children’s.&#0160; Children emulate the actions of their parents, not their words.&#0160; So if they see dad sitting on his fat ass all weekend watching sports on TV, while eating junk food and drinking beer, instead of actually participating in a sport, they will do the same.&#0160; If the family eats highly processed, or &#0160;fast food from one of the many unhealthy convenient fast food restaurants, because mom or dad are too lazy to prepare something healthy, well this sets in motion a lifestyle of poor eating habits, which leads to all kinds of degenerative diseases.&#0160;</p> <p>So as I read this article about Adam Marino and the Nanny State at the Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs, I realize what a bizarre world we live in.&#0160; A world that’s so up-side-down, that something as healthy and natural as walking or riding a bike to school is considered dangerous to your health and should be prohibited.&#0160;</p> <p>If you’re of a certain age, leave a comment and tell my readers about a story of “free range” play you used to do as a kid before the helicopter parents and the nanny state stepped in and ruined the fun we used to enjoy and take for granted as we explored our neighbourhoods and beyond.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="No Bikes" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d-800wi" title="No Bikes" /></a></p> <p>I just finished my annual two week cycling training camp at my place in Arizona.&#0160; It&#39;s a place&#0160;where the weather is more conducive to early season cycling, unlike my home town&#0160;of Calgary where you can still get caught in a freak snow storm in the middle of a 100km ride.&#0160; My feelings about Calgary weather are another topic and not what I’m writing about today.&#0160;</p> <p>As I was returning home and waiting for my plane&#0160;in the Phoenix Sky Harbour airport, I stopped at the bookstore to get something to read for the 3 hours flight back to Calgary, so I picked up the current issue of Bicycling Magazine when I came across an article that I just have to share with you.&#0160; The title of the article is: “<em><a href="http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/why-johnny-cant-ride" target="_blank" title="Bicycling">Why Johnny Can’t Ride</a></em>” and I’d like to hear from you on this one.&#0160; I hope I’m not the only one that thinks the “Nanny State” filled with “Helicopter Parents” has gone too far.</p> <p>I wrote a post a while back titled, &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/05/childhood-fitness-where-did-it-go.html" target="_blank" title="No Finish Line Blog">Childhood Fitness, Where Did It Go</a>&quot;.&#0160; The topic was about the absence of kids playing in the streets and parks because of many factors including, over-protective parents that can’t let their kids out of their sight for more than a nano-second, and the fact that today’s children are addicted to video games and monitors (TV, Computers, etc), which are both contributing to the probability if a child is under the age 16 they will live a shorter and less healthy life than their parents (if that can even be possible, judging by the current health of North Americans adults today).&#0160;</p> <p>The more I read this article about Adam&#39;s situation, the more piss-off I got.&#0160; It’s a long article so let me give you the “Cole’s Notes Version”.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ride-to-school-1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71287970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ride-to-school-1" /></a><br /><em>This is a story about a seventh-grader at Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs, New York.&#0160; His name is Adam Mario and he’s getting a firsthand lesson in civil&#0160;disobedience. The 12-year-old and his mother, Janette Marino, are defying Saratoga Springs school policy by <strong>riding his bike to school</strong>; yes, you read that correctly, for biking to school.&#0160; Something we as kids took for granted and were encouraged; in fact, we had two ways to get to school back then; you either walked, or rode your bike.&#0160; Adam rides about 4 miles (6.4km), each way to school and his mother rides with him to ensure his safety.&#0160; &#0160;By the way, this is something my mother at that age would never do, nor would I want her because I enjoyed the confidence my parents had in me, not to mention the feeling of independence.&#0160; So when Adam and his mother arrived at his school, they were met by school officials and a State Trooper who informed them that such an act was extremely dangerous, strictly prohibited and she would have to come back to the school and pick up his bike.&#0160; They went on further to say the only two modes of transportation to and from the school were bus or car. </em></p> <p><em>Janette Marino believes they didn’t do anything wrong and that it’s none of the state or school’s business what form of transportation she uses to get their son to school, as long as he gets there on time.&#0160; Besides, Adam would be one less child why the school has to buy another polluting bus, or idling car that sits in front of the school during pick up and drop off time.&#0160; The Marino’s &#0160;are part of a small, but growing number of parents challenging the sedentary habits of today&#39;s youths and what they view as overanxious &quot;helicopter parenting”, where “Free Range” children is considered irresponsible parenting. &#0160;To these modern day parents, the thought of sending their children out the door to participate in unsupervised play, or to let them walk to school themselves is simply unthinkable.&#0160; So the Marino&#39;s basically said to hell with you; try and stop us.</em></p> <p><em>Riding his 21-speed Giant mountain bike to school benefits Adam Marino&#39;s health and the environment, but state and school believe that biking and walking (which is also banded, believe me, I can’t make this stuff up) are too dangerous for middle school aged children to handle, although no walking or bike accidents have ever been reported on the school’s road.</em></p> <p>So that’s the summary of this story; read the full story to fill in the gaps and I’m sure you will shake your head like my wife and I did.&#0160; There are many social issues one can comment on a story like this, especially given the health of the typical North American.&#0160; Given the theme of my blog I will focus on two that I believe are contributing negatively to the health of our children:</p> <p>1)&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Helicopter Parenting</p> <p>2)&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; Health is Not a Priority</p> <p><strong>Helicopter Parenting</strong>:&#0160; I’m not sure when it happened, but over the decades since I was a kid, parents have become so protective of their children, it’s now affecting their health.&#0160; And for the most part, they fear something that’s not real and only in their mind.&#0160; This fear is further manifested when they hear about the one or two child abduction cases that are sensationalized by the media.&#0160; They fear if their children play too out of their sight that bad shit will happen to them, when in fact this kind of smothering is one of the causes why we have so many obese children.</p> <p>My father who’s now 87 told me a great when he was a young lad of 7 or 8 years old, growing up in Scotland.&#0160; He and his best friend set out to ride their bikes from Edinburgh Scotland to Blackpool England a distance of 320km (one way) with no parent supervision.&#0160; They had a map, (which they could read and understand), a few shillings in their pockets to buy some food and shelter, and good health to get them there and back!&#0160; Remember, I’m talking about two 7 year old boys and the only thing my Grandmother said to him as he set off, was to ride safe (oh yea, and they weren&#39;t wearing helmets).&#0160; This could never happen in today’s culture, because every stranger is considered a potential kidnapper, or worse and what would happen if their little sweethearts fell.&#0160; Not to mention, most children are so out of shape they could never physically consider such a trip.&#0160; Finally,&#0160;today&#39;s children are&#0160;driven to all their activities, so they have no idea how to navigate much further than a few hundred meters from their front door.&#0160; If today’s Child Services ever caught wind of such parental freedom for their children, they would have locked my Grandmother up for being an irresponsible parent.&#0160; (By the way, the two lads only made it as far as Carlisle in Northern England, because they realized they would run out of money.&#0160; &#0160;Even still, they rode a total distance of 320km and spent a couple nights on their own staying at youth hostels!)&#0160;</p> <p>This story is so extreme by today’s standards, were “Free Range” play for children is such a rarity.&#0160; Except for organized hockey where my father was the coach, we never participated in any organized play, however we were always playing sports in the fields, climbing trees, riding our bikes, playing touch football and scrub baseball.&#0160; And there was never a parent watching over our shoulder.&#0160; This unnatural act that parents have developed prevents their children to roam free and play naturally.&#0160; By restricting the movement’s like we see today, says to children that their parents can’t trust them to be responsible for their decisions and actions.&#0160; No wonder children are so rebelious today.&#0160; And when combined with the Nintendo Culture of sitting their little fat behinds in front of a monitor for 5 to 6 hours a day you have&#0160;a major contributor to the obesity epidemic we find in our young people today.</p> <p><strong>Health is Not a Priority</strong>: the fact that the majority of North Americans are not healthy means that health is no longer a priority in many people’s lives.&#0160; The statistics don’t lie and the costs to our healthcare system are out of control as a direct outcome.&#0160; If health isn’t a priority for the parents, it’s certainly not going to be a priority for their children’s.&#0160; Children emulate the actions of their parents, not their words.&#0160; So if they see dad sitting on his fat ass all weekend watching sports on TV, while eating junk food and drinking beer, instead of actually participating in a sport, they will do the same.&#0160; If the family eats highly processed, or &#0160;fast food from one of the many unhealthy convenient fast food restaurants, because mom or dad are too lazy to prepare something healthy, well this sets in motion a lifestyle of poor eating habits, which leads to all kinds of degenerative diseases.&#0160;</p> <p>So as I read this article about Adam Marino and the Nanny State at the Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs, I realize what a bizarre world we live in.&#0160; A world that’s so up-side-down, that something as healthy and natural as walking or riding a bike to school is considered dangerous to your health and should be prohibited.&#0160;</p> <p>If you’re of a certain age, leave a comment and tell my readers about a story of “free range” play you used to do as a kid before the helicopter parents and the nanny state stepped in and ruined the fun we used to enjoy and take for granted as we explored our neighbourhoods and beyond.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="No Bikes" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016305e71ba6970d-800wi" title="No Bikes" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0163052187b7970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-05-03T20:46:30Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0163052148d6970dYou Need More Stress in Your Lifehttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-05-03T20:46:29Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I’m currently training a few guys to compete in this year’s <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="L&#39;Etape du Tour">l&#39;Etape du Tour</a>.&#0160; If you’ve never heard of this cycling event, it’s a bike race for serious recreational and competitive cyclists to &quot;enjoy&quot; the hardest stage of the current year’s Tour de France.&#0160; Generally limited to 10,000 cyclists, they will ride the same roads as the pro riders in the actual Tour de France.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve been working on improving their aerobic capacity through a very structured training program of intervals.&#0160; This is the combination of extremely hard, stressful efforts, followed by a recovery period.&#0160; This hard, easy combination of training yields superior performance results compared to just hopping on a bike and simply riding a steady pace.&#0160;</p> <p>So I found the following article my <a href="http://www.morethanalogoblog.com/" target="_blank" title="More Than a Logo">daughter </a>forwarded me from the <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/04/stress-is-not-your-enemy.html" target="_blank" title="HBR">Harvard Business Review by Tony Schwartz quite interesting</a>, as he has applied this same principles of hard/easy interval training athletes do for the bodies to the mind and the way we work.</p> <p>Tony suggests that instead of working during the day at the same “pace”, we should work at a higher stress levels for a period of time, followed by schedule rest to recovery.&#0160; His point is that we live in a high stress environment all the time, with little relief, which leads to burnout, chronic fatigue, and poor work productivity.&#0160; As a result we rarely push ourselves to our maximum to realize our full potential.</p> <p>Having practiced and studied the benefits of stress and recovery on the athletic body, I never considered how this same logic could be applied to our brains.&#0160; I think we&#39;ve all experienced how ineffective we become at work when we pull the all-nighter to get that management report completed, or the customer proposal done on time, or a presentation completed because of an unrealistic deadline.&#0160; And I also know I never do my best work when I’m mentally exhausted; just like I can’t perform my best physically in a cycling race without being sufficiently rested.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve often heard and read how high performing executives have the ability to compartmentalize their activities, whereby they focus with extreme intensity on a single topic or issue without distraction before taking a break and moving onto the next activity.&#0160; This aligns with the article below.&#0160; Tony’s logic makes perfect sense as it agrees with how I train myself and other athletes and&#0160;I see no reason why it can’t be just as effective when applied to how we work and think.&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d" height="330" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" width="260" /></a><br />&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Stress Is Not Your Enemy</strong></span></p> <p><strong>By: Tony Schwartz: </strong>president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451610262/" target="_blank" title="Be Excellent at Anything">Be Excellent at Anything</a></em>.<strong></strong></p> <p>How often do you intentionally push yourself to discomfort?</p> <p>I know that sounds a little nutty, but here&#39;s why I ask: Subjecting yourself to stress is the only way to systematically get stronger — physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And you&#39;ll get weaker if you don&#39;t.</p> <p>We live by the myth that stress is the enemy in our lives. The real enemy is our failure to balance stress with intermittent rest. Push the body too hard for too long — chronic stress — and the result will indeed be burnout and breakdown. But subject the body to insufficient stress, and it will weaken and atrophy.</p> <p>Few of us push ourselves nearly hard enough to realize our potential, nor do we rest, sleep, and renew nearly as deeply or for as long as we should.</p> <p>This is easiest to see at the physical level. In the absence of regular cardiovascular exercise — a form of stress — the heart&#39;s ability to efficiently pump blood drops an average of 1 percent a year between the ages of 30 and 70, and faster after that. Likewise, in the absence of strength training — literally pushing weight against resistance — we lose an average of 1 percent of lean muscle mass every year after age 30.</p> <p>But those effects can be dramatically reversed, even very late in life. In one of a series of studies, a group of nursing home residents with an average age of 87 were put on a strength training program 3 times a week for 45 minutes a session. They were given plenty of time to rest between sets and to recover between sessions. On average, they more than doubled their strength in just ten weeks.</p> <p>The principle is simple, but not entirely intuitive. The harder you push yourself, the more you signal your body to grow. It&#39;s called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercompensation" target="_blank" title="Supercompensation">supercompensation</a>, and the growth actually occurs during recovery. The limiting factor is mostly your tolerance for discomfort.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux - Stress" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ventoux - Stress" /></a></p> <p>Think for a moment about attention. Absorbed focused lies at the heart of great performance. Unfortunately, our minds have minds of their own — they flit from thought to thought. It&#39;s also more difficult than ever to stay focused in this digital age. Never before have we had to deal with so many seductive distractions.</p> <p>Training your mind operates by the same principle as training your body. By focusing on one thing for a defined period of time — say by counting your breath, or working at a demanding task, or even reading a difficult book — you&#39;re subjecting your attention to stress.</p> <p>As your mind wanders, the challenge is to return your focus to the breath, or the task, or the book. Effectively, you&#39;re training control of your attention. The more intensely you practice, even for short increments of time, the stronger you&#39;ll get.</p> <p>The alternative is shallowness. So much of what we do all day long requires little real effort, but yields only the most fleeting gratification.</p> <p>For me, writing this blog is one way I intentionally push myself to discomfort for several hours every week. I don&#39;t relish pain any more than the next guy, and so to get past my resistance, I write at a set time, for 90 minutes at a stretch before taking a break. Working at a piece of writing forces me to think hard and searchingly, about a subject that matters to me, and then try to compose sentences that are lean, crisp, and clear, and say exactly what I mean them to say.</p> <p>It can be frustrating and uncomfortable to think hard — especially early in the process. I often feel compelled to get up from my desk and eat something, or check my email, or do anything but keep writing.</p> <p>Occasionally I succumb, but mostly I&#39;ve learned to put off these indulgences, comforted by the knowledge that staying the course will ultimately make me feel more alive, more productive, and better about myself than I ever will by flitting between the day&#39;s more trivial tasks.</p> <p>Completing a challenging piece of work, or a tough workout, or an intellectually demanding book, frees us to truly savor and enjoy the period afterwards — to experience time off not as slacking but as a fully earned opportunity for restoration.</p> <p>Most of us instinctively run from discomfort, but struggle equally to value rest and renewal. We operate instead in a gray zone, rarely fully engaged and rarely deeply relaxed.</p> <p>What practice could you add to your life to regularly push beyond your comfort zone — and then deliberately renew? Increasing the amplitude of your wave — from intense effort to deep renewal — is the surest path to a more fully realized life.</p> <p>I’m currently training a few guys to compete in this year’s <a href="http://www.letapedutour.com/ET2/us/the-route.html" target="_blank" title="L&#39;Etape du Tour">l&#39;Etape du Tour</a>.&#0160; If you’ve never heard of this cycling event, it’s a bike race for serious recreational and competitive cyclists to &quot;enjoy&quot; the hardest stage of the current year’s Tour de France.&#0160; Generally limited to 10,000 cyclists, they will ride the same roads as the pro riders in the actual Tour de France.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve been working on improving their aerobic capacity through a very structured training program of intervals.&#0160; This is the combination of extremely hard, stressful efforts, followed by a recovery period.&#0160; This hard, easy combination of training yields superior performance results compared to just hopping on a bike and simply riding a steady pace.&#0160;</p> <p>So I found the following article my <a href="http://www.morethanalogoblog.com/" target="_blank" title="More Than a Logo">daughter </a>forwarded me from the <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/04/stress-is-not-your-enemy.html" target="_blank" title="HBR">Harvard Business Review by Tony Schwartz quite interesting</a>, as he has applied this same principles of hard/easy interval training athletes do for the bodies to the mind and the way we work.</p> <p>Tony suggests that instead of working during the day at the same “pace”, we should work at a higher stress levels for a period of time, followed by schedule rest to recovery.&#0160; His point is that we live in a high stress environment all the time, with little relief, which leads to burnout, chronic fatigue, and poor work productivity.&#0160; As a result we rarely push ourselves to our maximum to realize our full potential.</p> <p>Having practiced and studied the benefits of stress and recovery on the athletic body, I never considered how this same logic could be applied to our brains.&#0160; I think we&#39;ve all experienced how ineffective we become at work when we pull the all-nighter to get that management report completed, or the customer proposal done on time, or a presentation completed because of an unrealistic deadline.&#0160; And I also know I never do my best work when I’m mentally exhausted; just like I can’t perform my best physically in a cycling race without being sufficiently rested.&#0160;</p> <p>I’ve often heard and read how high performing executives have the ability to compartmentalize their activities, whereby they focus with extreme intensity on a single topic or issue without distraction before taking a break and moving onto the next activity.&#0160; This aligns with the article below.&#0160; Tony’s logic makes perfect sense as it agrees with how I train myself and other athletes and&#0160;I see no reason why it can’t be just as effective when applied to how we work and think.&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d" height="330" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630520ddd1970d-800wi" title="Alpe D&#39;Huez pain" width="260" /></a><br />&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Stress Is Not Your Enemy</strong></span></p> <p><strong>By: Tony Schwartz: </strong>president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451610262/" target="_blank" title="Be Excellent at Anything">Be Excellent at Anything</a></em>.<strong></strong></p> <p>How often do you intentionally push yourself to discomfort?</p> <p>I know that sounds a little nutty, but here&#39;s why I ask: Subjecting yourself to stress is the only way to systematically get stronger — physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And you&#39;ll get weaker if you don&#39;t.</p> <p>We live by the myth that stress is the enemy in our lives. The real enemy is our failure to balance stress with intermittent rest. Push the body too hard for too long — chronic stress — and the result will indeed be burnout and breakdown. But subject the body to insufficient stress, and it will weaken and atrophy.</p> <p>Few of us push ourselves nearly hard enough to realize our potential, nor do we rest, sleep, and renew nearly as deeply or for as long as we should.</p> <p>This is easiest to see at the physical level. In the absence of regular cardiovascular exercise — a form of stress — the heart&#39;s ability to efficiently pump blood drops an average of 1 percent a year between the ages of 30 and 70, and faster after that. Likewise, in the absence of strength training — literally pushing weight against resistance — we lose an average of 1 percent of lean muscle mass every year after age 30.</p> <p>But those effects can be dramatically reversed, even very late in life. In one of a series of studies, a group of nursing home residents with an average age of 87 were put on a strength training program 3 times a week for 45 minutes a session. They were given plenty of time to rest between sets and to recover between sessions. On average, they more than doubled their strength in just ten weeks.</p> <p>The principle is simple, but not entirely intuitive. The harder you push yourself, the more you signal your body to grow. It&#39;s called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercompensation" target="_blank" title="Supercompensation">supercompensation</a>, and the growth actually occurs during recovery. The limiting factor is mostly your tolerance for discomfort.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux - Stress" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676614a8ce970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ventoux - Stress" /></a></p> <p>Think for a moment about attention. Absorbed focused lies at the heart of great performance. Unfortunately, our minds have minds of their own — they flit from thought to thought. It&#39;s also more difficult than ever to stay focused in this digital age. Never before have we had to deal with so many seductive distractions.</p> <p>Training your mind operates by the same principle as training your body. By focusing on one thing for a defined period of time — say by counting your breath, or working at a demanding task, or even reading a difficult book — you&#39;re subjecting your attention to stress.</p> <p>As your mind wanders, the challenge is to return your focus to the breath, or the task, or the book. Effectively, you&#39;re training control of your attention. The more intensely you practice, even for short increments of time, the stronger you&#39;ll get.</p> <p>The alternative is shallowness. So much of what we do all day long requires little real effort, but yields only the most fleeting gratification.</p> <p>For me, writing this blog is one way I intentionally push myself to discomfort for several hours every week. I don&#39;t relish pain any more than the next guy, and so to get past my resistance, I write at a set time, for 90 minutes at a stretch before taking a break. Working at a piece of writing forces me to think hard and searchingly, about a subject that matters to me, and then try to compose sentences that are lean, crisp, and clear, and say exactly what I mean them to say.</p> <p>It can be frustrating and uncomfortable to think hard — especially early in the process. I often feel compelled to get up from my desk and eat something, or check my email, or do anything but keep writing.</p> <p>Occasionally I succumb, but mostly I&#39;ve learned to put off these indulgences, comforted by the knowledge that staying the course will ultimately make me feel more alive, more productive, and better about myself than I ever will by flitting between the day&#39;s more trivial tasks.</p> <p>Completing a challenging piece of work, or a tough workout, or an intellectually demanding book, frees us to truly savor and enjoy the period afterwards — to experience time off not as slacking but as a fully earned opportunity for restoration.</p> <p>Most of us instinctively run from discomfort, but struggle equally to value rest and renewal. We operate instead in a gray zone, rarely fully engaged and rarely deeply relaxed.</p> <p>What practice could you add to your life to regularly push beyond your comfort zone — and then deliberately renew? Increasing the amplitude of your wave — from intense effort to deep renewal — is the surest path to a more fully realized life.</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0168ea1efbc5970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-04-14T18:32:59Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ede4a970cSimple Formula for Success - Do you know it?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-04-14T18:32:59Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">The purpose of my blog is to increase the quality of life of others through information that drives positive lifestyle choices.&#0160; Well this week, Dr Les wrote an interesting post about a common process to success, regardless of what you define as success that&#39;s he&#39;s used for years.&#0160;</p> <p>To some, success may be to stop smoking, or to lose some weight, or cut down on alcohol consumption.&#0160; Improving the quality of life doesn’t always have to be health related.&#0160; It may be something good for your mind.&#0160;</p> <p>For example, I have recently made the commitment to learn French.&#0160; Believe me, given how poor my French language skills are, this is a lofty goal.&#0160; It’s been something on my bucket list for decades, but I&#39;ve always had an excuse why I couldn’t do it.&#0160; My wife and I are considering that we may retire to the South of France, so now I have BIG purpose and learning French has a whole new meaning.&#0160;</p> <p>The steps to success are simple but not often followed.&#0160; So I&#39;ve applied Dr Les&#39; methodology to my French learning experience and it works.&#0160; And I can see how it will work for any goal I set for myself.&#0160;&#0160;He&#39;s my French example.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Clearly define my base line</strong>: that’s easy…. my French is terrible</li> <li><strong>Define my goal</strong>: &#0160;Speak fluent French in 9 years</li> <li><strong>What resources are required</strong>: Well, I’m using Rosetta Stone, which is great and compliments my learning style.</li> <li><strong>What strategies and tactics</strong>: In addition to Rosetta Stone, I have now begun reading all the French labels, prior to reading the English counterpart, I listen to any French public announcement, and I try to speak French to anyone that I know can speak French.</li> </ol> <p>So even though your goal, or objective may be different to my French learning example, the process that Dr Les describes below is the same.&#0160; Use this simple, but effective tool&#0160;to achieve whatever goal you set out for yourself,&#0160;and I hope you realize yours, like I know I will achieve mine.</p> <p>Profiter de la Balade (Enjoy the Ride) …. Rob&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 4 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c" height="256" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 4 Web" width="395" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>The Success Formula:</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The recipe for health and success: “If you don’t know where you’re going any path </strong><strong>will take you there!”</strong></p> <p>I was just heading out of the locker room when I caught up with a patient who had just finished his training run. We started chatting about workout strategies. Since we are both analytical types, the conversation was interesting. He was elaborating on the merits of long, slow, base-building runs. I was referencing that I had done numerous lactate measurements to establish and monitor heart-rate training zones for mountain biking.</p> <p>While standing next to Wilf, our differences were obvious. He is 6’2” and I am 5’6” and we likely have close to the same body weight. In the dog world this means that he is a greyhound and I am... a terrier. Wilf is training for the 42km Eugene Marathon and all I want is to be able to run a fast 5km race and do some mountain biking. It was fun to swap stories but there would be little value in applying each other’s training recipe to achieve success in our different endeavors.</p> <p>Our conversation made me think about my practice where patients often come in wanting a quick fix or a recipe for pain relief or good health. The reality is that it is not that simple. Certainly there are common principles and guiding concepts but to achieve the best outcome, treatment and home therapy needs to be individualized and paced according to each person’s starting point and objectives.</p> <p>However, there is a useful model that can be implemented to get the correct recipe for success in any endeavour – whether it is health, fitness or even business ventures. I learned this model from the late Bernie Novokowsky, founder of the Higher Order Thought (H.O.T.) program. I attended Bernie’s funeral service recently. Bernie was a high-school dropout who went on to earn his doctorate in Human and Organizational Systems. His dissertation <em>Personal Power: The Realization of Doing and Being</em> is now available in a compilation book.<em> </em>&#0160;Bernie knew a lot about achieving goals. He called his success model the <strong>“Performance Diamond” </strong>and outlined the 4 key points necessary for success. These points are to be followed sequentially in order to be effective. It was his experience and mine that most people jump right into Step 4 – Recipe, or the solution without adequate consideration of all preparation Steps. “Follow the Four” steps to design an effective strategy!</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Success" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Success" /></a>&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;So yes, there is a recipe for pain relief, health, fitness and anything else you define as success!</p> <p>Just remember, even though the steps in the process are the same for all of us, because we’re all different, ie. &#0160;Different goals, age, genetics, sex, health, fitness, resources, etc - the recipe will be different by definition.</p> <p>Adding life to your Years …. Dr Les</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c" height="303" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="237" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">The purpose of my blog is to increase the quality of life of others through information that drives positive lifestyle choices.&#0160; Well this week, Dr Les wrote an interesting post about a common process to success, regardless of what you define as success that&#39;s he&#39;s used for years.&#0160;</p> <p>To some, success may be to stop smoking, or to lose some weight, or cut down on alcohol consumption.&#0160; Improving the quality of life doesn’t always have to be health related.&#0160; It may be something good for your mind.&#0160;</p> <p>For example, I have recently made the commitment to learn French.&#0160; Believe me, given how poor my French language skills are, this is a lofty goal.&#0160; It’s been something on my bucket list for decades, but I&#39;ve always had an excuse why I couldn’t do it.&#0160; My wife and I are considering that we may retire to the South of France, so now I have BIG purpose and learning French has a whole new meaning.&#0160;</p> <p>The steps to success are simple but not often followed.&#0160; So I&#39;ve applied Dr Les&#39; methodology to my French learning experience and it works.&#0160; And I can see how it will work for any goal I set for myself.&#0160;&#0160;He&#39;s my French example.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Clearly define my base line</strong>: that’s easy…. my French is terrible</li> <li><strong>Define my goal</strong>: &#0160;Speak fluent French in 9 years</li> <li><strong>What resources are required</strong>: Well, I’m using Rosetta Stone, which is great and compliments my learning style.</li> <li><strong>What strategies and tactics</strong>: In addition to Rosetta Stone, I have now begun reading all the French labels, prior to reading the English counterpart, I listen to any French public announcement, and I try to speak French to anyone that I know can speak French.</li> </ol> <p>So even though your goal, or objective may be different to my French learning example, the process that Dr Les describes below is the same.&#0160; Use this simple, but effective tool&#0160;to achieve whatever goal you set out for yourself,&#0160;and I hope you realize yours, like I know I will achieve mine.</p> <p>Profiter de la Balade (Enjoy the Ride) …. Rob&#0160;</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 4 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c" height="256" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ecdfe970c-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 4 Web" width="395" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><strong>The Success Formula:</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The recipe for health and success: “If you don’t know where you’re going any path </strong><strong>will take you there!”</strong></p> <p>I was just heading out of the locker room when I caught up with a patient who had just finished his training run. We started chatting about workout strategies. Since we are both analytical types, the conversation was interesting. He was elaborating on the merits of long, slow, base-building runs. I was referencing that I had done numerous lactate measurements to establish and monitor heart-rate training zones for mountain biking.</p> <p>While standing next to Wilf, our differences were obvious. He is 6’2” and I am 5’6” and we likely have close to the same body weight. In the dog world this means that he is a greyhound and I am... a terrier. Wilf is training for the 42km Eugene Marathon and all I want is to be able to run a fast 5km race and do some mountain biking. It was fun to swap stories but there would be little value in applying each other’s training recipe to achieve success in our different endeavors.</p> <p>Our conversation made me think about my practice where patients often come in wanting a quick fix or a recipe for pain relief or good health. The reality is that it is not that simple. Certainly there are common principles and guiding concepts but to achieve the best outcome, treatment and home therapy needs to be individualized and paced according to each person’s starting point and objectives.</p> <p>However, there is a useful model that can be implemented to get the correct recipe for success in any endeavour – whether it is health, fitness or even business ventures. I learned this model from the late Bernie Novokowsky, founder of the Higher Order Thought (H.O.T.) program. I attended Bernie’s funeral service recently. Bernie was a high-school dropout who went on to earn his doctorate in Human and Organizational Systems. His dissertation <em>Personal Power: The Realization of Doing and Being</em> is now available in a compilation book.<em> </em>&#0160;Bernie knew a lot about achieving goals. He called his success model the <strong>“Performance Diamond” </strong>and outlined the 4 key points necessary for success. These points are to be followed sequentially in order to be effective. It was his experience and mine that most people jump right into Step 4 – Recipe, or the solution without adequate consideration of all preparation Steps. “Follow the Four” steps to design an effective strategy!</p> <p>&#0160;<a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Success" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630429603d970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Success" /></a>&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>&#0160;So yes, there is a recipe for pain relief, health, fitness and anything else you define as success!</p> <p>Just remember, even though the steps in the process are the same for all of us, because we’re all different, ie. &#0160;Different goals, age, genetics, sex, health, fitness, resources, etc - the recipe will be different by definition.</p> <p>Adding life to your Years …. Dr Les</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c" height="303" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168ea1ef108970c-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="237" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0168e9c61d79970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-04-07T19:18:46Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b016764c51d5a970bDrinking: How Alcohol Affects Athletic Performance?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-04-07T19:18:46Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I’ve often commented within this blog about the negative affects associated with the consumption of alcohol, in addition to the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Too much Cheer">social stigma </a>associated with people that abstain from drinking.&#0160; It seems drinking has become an accepted and integral part of our social fabric.&#0160; That said,&#0160;as long as it’s restricted to 1-2 drinks a day (1 for women, 2 for men), alcohol can actually have positive heart health benefits.&#0160; The problem I see, is that&#0160;most individuals drink far more than what is considered healthy.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Athlete and Alcohol" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Athlete and Alcohol" /></a></p> <p>But, how much alcohol can you drink before it negatively impacts&#0160;athletic performance?&#0160; The answer is <strong>ZERO</strong>. Any alcohol in your system is detrimental to any kind of fitness activity, (well maybe except for recreational dancing).&#0160; Here are just four examples how booze wreaks havoc on the athletic body.</p> <p><br /><strong>Slower Recovery</strong></p> <p>Hard workouts drain the glycogen stores (carbohydrates stored in the liver and muscles) and leave your muscle tissue in need of repair. &quot;Pouring alcohol into your system as soon as you finish stalls the recovery process,&quot; says Tavis Piattoly, R.D. High levels of alcohol displace the carbohydrates, leaving your stores still 50 percent lower than normal even eight hours later. Sip or snack on a combo of muscle-repairing protein and carbohydrates before thinking that a cold beer as a good recovery drink.</p> <p><strong>Packed-On Fat</strong></p> <p>When booze is on board, your body, besides having to deal with the surplus of calories, prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol over burning fat and carbohydrates. Alcohol also breaks down amino acids and stores them as fat. &quot;For some reason this process is most pronounced in the thighs and glutes,&quot; says Piattoly. &quot;Excessive alcohol consumption really chews up muscle in those areas.&quot; It also increases levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), which further encourages fat storage, particularly in your midsection.</p> <p><strong>Disrupted Sleep</strong></p> <p>Boozing also blows your muscle recovery and performance by sapping your sleep. In a study of 93 men and women, researchers found that alcohol decreased sleep duration and increased wakefulness (particularly in the second half of the night), especially in women, whose sleep time was decreased by more than 30 minutes over the night. &quot;Disrupting the sleep cycle can reduce your human growth hormone output—which builds muscle—by as much as 70 percent,&quot; says Piattoly.</p> <p><strong>Depleted Water and Nutrients</strong></p> <p>Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, which can reduce your capacity to absorb nutrients (the reason you have an upset stomach after a few too many), says Brian R. Christie, Ph.D.—not to mention that alcohol makes you pee. For every gram of ethanol you suck down, you pump out 10 milliliters of urine (that&#39;s about 9.5 ounces for two beers). As little as 2% dehydration will significantly hurt your athletic performance. And by the way, you can&#39;t rehydrate with a dehydrating drink (e.g., beer).</p> <p>So regardless if you&#39;re training for the Tour de France, or the next local&#0160;5km fun ran, the next time you reach for something to drink after your workout, make it something that both you and your body will appreciate.&#0160; Cheers.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride ....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Apache Trail" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d" height="181" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d-800wi" title="Apache Trail" width="239" /></a></p> <p>I’ve often commented within this blog about the negative affects associated with the consumption of alcohol, in addition to the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/holiday-cheer.html" target="_blank" title="Too much Cheer">social stigma </a>associated with people that abstain from drinking.&#0160; It seems drinking has become an accepted and integral part of our social fabric.&#0160; That said,&#0160;as long as it’s restricted to 1-2 drinks a day (1 for women, 2 for men), alcohol can actually have positive heart health benefits.&#0160; The problem I see, is that&#0160;most individuals drink far more than what is considered healthy.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Athlete and Alcohol" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d07eb0970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Athlete and Alcohol" /></a></p> <p>But, how much alcohol can you drink before it negatively impacts&#0160;athletic performance?&#0160; The answer is <strong>ZERO</strong>. Any alcohol in your system is detrimental to any kind of fitness activity, (well maybe except for recreational dancing).&#0160; Here are just four examples how booze wreaks havoc on the athletic body.</p> <p><br /><strong>Slower Recovery</strong></p> <p>Hard workouts drain the glycogen stores (carbohydrates stored in the liver and muscles) and leave your muscle tissue in need of repair. &quot;Pouring alcohol into your system as soon as you finish stalls the recovery process,&quot; says Tavis Piattoly, R.D. High levels of alcohol displace the carbohydrates, leaving your stores still 50 percent lower than normal even eight hours later. Sip or snack on a combo of muscle-repairing protein and carbohydrates before thinking that a cold beer as a good recovery drink.</p> <p><strong>Packed-On Fat</strong></p> <p>When booze is on board, your body, besides having to deal with the surplus of calories, prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol over burning fat and carbohydrates. Alcohol also breaks down amino acids and stores them as fat. &quot;For some reason this process is most pronounced in the thighs and glutes,&quot; says Piattoly. &quot;Excessive alcohol consumption really chews up muscle in those areas.&quot; It also increases levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), which further encourages fat storage, particularly in your midsection.</p> <p><strong>Disrupted Sleep</strong></p> <p>Boozing also blows your muscle recovery and performance by sapping your sleep. In a study of 93 men and women, researchers found that alcohol decreased sleep duration and increased wakefulness (particularly in the second half of the night), especially in women, whose sleep time was decreased by more than 30 minutes over the night. &quot;Disrupting the sleep cycle can reduce your human growth hormone output—which builds muscle—by as much as 70 percent,&quot; says Piattoly.</p> <p><strong>Depleted Water and Nutrients</strong></p> <p>Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, which can reduce your capacity to absorb nutrients (the reason you have an upset stomach after a few too many), says Brian R. Christie, Ph.D.—not to mention that alcohol makes you pee. For every gram of ethanol you suck down, you pump out 10 milliliters of urine (that&#39;s about 9.5 ounces for two beers). As little as 2% dehydration will significantly hurt your athletic performance. And by the way, you can&#39;t rehydrate with a dehydrating drink (e.g., beer).</p> <p>So regardless if you&#39;re training for the Tour de France, or the next local&#0160;5km fun ran, the next time you reach for something to drink after your workout, make it something that both you and your body will appreciate.&#0160; Cheers.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride ....Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Apache Trail" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d" height="181" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303d05359970d-800wi" title="Apache Trail" width="239" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01676488831f970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-04-02T02:39:34Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168e9893704970cAre you suffering from "Nature Deficit Disorder"?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-04-02T02:39:34Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Can you feel it? I certainly can. I finally got out for my first bike ride of the year after hibernating and training indoors on my bike trainer. The weather conditions weren’t great, as I saw cool temperatures, a little snow, a little rain and for a very brief moment, a little sunshine. But who cares, I was back outside breathing fresh air and being reacquainted with my old friend, &quot;Mother Nature&quot;.&#0160; My step brother who lives in the South of France has been rubbing my nose in his even earlier re-introduction with the French version of Mother Nature since February.&#0160; Regardless, I&#39;m talking about <strong>Springtime</strong>….and even though the French enjoy it two months before those of us that live in Alberta, it&#39;s just around the corner and I can hardly wait to get out of my basement gym and into the great outdoors on a regular basis.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Calgary-Spring Riding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Calgary-Spring Riding" /></a><br />That said, not everyone thinks this way.&#0160;In fact the majority of North Americans continue to turn inward, even though the outdoors is calling them. Something is certainly wrong with this picture, as over 60% of all North Americans are either overweight or obese and the thought of being active is considered by many as an unnatural act. When I was travelling through France last year, and trying my best to learn little bits of their language, I found out the French don’t even have a word for “fat people”. Or as Paul Rudnick commented in a mock-Parisian tone in The New Yorker last week. “If a woman is obese in France,” he wrote, “we simply call her American.”</p> <p>Of course, North America’s national branding of size comes with a host of deadly degenerative diseases like: Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, many different kinds of cancer and all the medical costs that come with them, and you and I pay dearly for those that are obese due to inactivity and poor eating habits.</p> <p>Spring is also Tax Season in Canada and let me remind all my Canadian readers that our healthcare system isn’t free, as many argue when comparing it&#0160;to the US system. If you pay $50,000 in taxes, you are paying approximately $22,500 in healthcare fees through your taxes, and this is on top of your provincial health insurance premiums (except for Alberta). And let’s not forget that North Americans also voluntarily spend $55 billion on diet related products or services, which inevitably fail.</p> <p>The sad part is; the solution is sitting right outside the door….and it’s free! For the last couple million years of human evolution, we have been a species that chased things to eat, or ran away from being eaten, or did physical labor necessary to grow our food. As a result we ate what was only needed, we took in Vitamin D from the sun (the best know antioxidant) and exercise was built into our lives (<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/08/is-the-french-paradox-really-a-paradox.html " target="_blank" title="French Paradox">just like the French Paradox I wrote about last year</a>). There were no gym clubs to belong to, we were simply active. And in less than one generation’s time, hundreds of millions of people have completely decoupled themselves from Mother Nature and all her health benefits.</p> <p>There’s a new term for the consequences of this divorce between human and habitat — <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_deficit_disorder" target="_blank" title="Nature Deficit Disorder">Nature Deficit Disorder,</a></strong>coined by the writer Richard Louv in a 2005 book, “<a href="http://www.workman.com/products/9781565126053/" target="_blank" title="Last Child in the Woods">Last Child in the Woods</a>.” It sounds trendy, a bit of sociological shorthand, but give the man and his point a good listen. Louv argued that certain behavioral problems are caused by the sharp decline in how little time children spend outdoors, a trend updated in the latest <a href="http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/ResearchParticipation2011.pdf" target="_blank" title="Participation Report">Recreation Participation Report</a>. For example, the number of boys aged 6 to 12 who engage in some kind of regular outdoor activity continues to slide. I wrote a blog last year about my observation that <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/05/childhood-fitness-where-did-it-go.html" target="_blank" title="Childhood Fitness">children no longer play outside</a>&#0160;in the numbers we used to see. Growing up, I remember my mother kicking me out the door in the morning and telling me she didn’t want to see me again until noon for lunch and again for dinner, and finally again when the street lights came on.&#0160; And all mothers did this.&#0160; Today, Social Services would be called in for this kind of parent behavior.</p> <p>You can blame technology all you want, but behind every computer screen-dominant upbringing is an overly cautious parent that thinks there’s a “bogey-man” around every corner waiting to snatch their children. Understandably, we want to protect our kids from “out there” variables. But the fact remains that these over protective parents are setting their children down a lifestyle path that ends up in a long slow death.</p> <p>Kids who do play outside are less likely to get sick, be stressed, or become aggressive, and are more adaptable to life’s unpredictable turns, and Louv said, since his book came out, things have gotten worse. “The average young American now spends practically every minute — except for the time in school – using smartphones, computers, televisions or electronic devices.”</p> <p>It&#39;s time to change this trend and make this year, the year that you and your family shut off the electronics and rediscover the great outdoors. Your body will thank you.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Balzac2 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d" height="303" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d-800wi" title="Balzac2 web" width="183" /></a></p> <p>Can you feel it? I certainly can. I finally got out for my first bike ride of the year after hibernating and training indoors on my bike trainer. The weather conditions weren’t great, as I saw cool temperatures, a little snow, a little rain and for a very brief moment, a little sunshine. But who cares, I was back outside breathing fresh air and being reacquainted with my old friend, &quot;Mother Nature&quot;.&#0160; My step brother who lives in the South of France has been rubbing my nose in his even earlier re-introduction with the French version of Mother Nature since February.&#0160; Regardless, I&#39;m talking about <strong>Springtime</strong>….and even though the French enjoy it two months before those of us that live in Alberta, it&#39;s just around the corner and I can hardly wait to get out of my basement gym and into the great outdoors on a regular basis.</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Calgary-Spring Riding" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630393816e970d-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Calgary-Spring Riding" /></a><br />That said, not everyone thinks this way.&#0160;In fact the majority of North Americans continue to turn inward, even though the outdoors is calling them. Something is certainly wrong with this picture, as over 60% of all North Americans are either overweight or obese and the thought of being active is considered by many as an unnatural act. When I was travelling through France last year, and trying my best to learn little bits of their language, I found out the French don’t even have a word for “fat people”. Or as Paul Rudnick commented in a mock-Parisian tone in The New Yorker last week. “If a woman is obese in France,” he wrote, “we simply call her American.”</p> <p>Of course, North America’s national branding of size comes with a host of deadly degenerative diseases like: Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, many different kinds of cancer and all the medical costs that come with them, and you and I pay dearly for those that are obese due to inactivity and poor eating habits.</p> <p>Spring is also Tax Season in Canada and let me remind all my Canadian readers that our healthcare system isn’t free, as many argue when comparing it&#0160;to the US system. If you pay $50,000 in taxes, you are paying approximately $22,500 in healthcare fees through your taxes, and this is on top of your provincial health insurance premiums (except for Alberta). And let’s not forget that North Americans also voluntarily spend $55 billion on diet related products or services, which inevitably fail.</p> <p>The sad part is; the solution is sitting right outside the door….and it’s free! For the last couple million years of human evolution, we have been a species that chased things to eat, or ran away from being eaten, or did physical labor necessary to grow our food. As a result we ate what was only needed, we took in Vitamin D from the sun (the best know antioxidant) and exercise was built into our lives (<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/08/is-the-french-paradox-really-a-paradox.html " target="_blank" title="French Paradox">just like the French Paradox I wrote about last year</a>). There were no gym clubs to belong to, we were simply active. And in less than one generation’s time, hundreds of millions of people have completely decoupled themselves from Mother Nature and all her health benefits.</p> <p>There’s a new term for the consequences of this divorce between human and habitat — <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_deficit_disorder" target="_blank" title="Nature Deficit Disorder">Nature Deficit Disorder,</a></strong>coined by the writer Richard Louv in a 2005 book, “<a href="http://www.workman.com/products/9781565126053/" target="_blank" title="Last Child in the Woods">Last Child in the Woods</a>.” It sounds trendy, a bit of sociological shorthand, but give the man and his point a good listen. Louv argued that certain behavioral problems are caused by the sharp decline in how little time children spend outdoors, a trend updated in the latest <a href="http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/ResearchParticipation2011.pdf" target="_blank" title="Participation Report">Recreation Participation Report</a>. For example, the number of boys aged 6 to 12 who engage in some kind of regular outdoor activity continues to slide. I wrote a blog last year about my observation that <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/05/childhood-fitness-where-did-it-go.html" target="_blank" title="Childhood Fitness">children no longer play outside</a>&#0160;in the numbers we used to see. Growing up, I remember my mother kicking me out the door in the morning and telling me she didn’t want to see me again until noon for lunch and again for dinner, and finally again when the street lights came on.&#0160; And all mothers did this.&#0160; Today, Social Services would be called in for this kind of parent behavior.</p> <p>You can blame technology all you want, but behind every computer screen-dominant upbringing is an overly cautious parent that thinks there’s a “bogey-man” around every corner waiting to snatch their children. Understandably, we want to protect our kids from “out there” variables. But the fact remains that these over protective parents are setting their children down a lifestyle path that ends up in a long slow death.</p> <p>Kids who do play outside are less likely to get sick, be stressed, or become aggressive, and are more adaptable to life’s unpredictable turns, and Louv said, since his book came out, things have gotten worse. “The average young American now spends practically every minute — except for the time in school – using smartphones, computers, televisions or electronic devices.”</p> <p>It&#39;s time to change this trend and make this year, the year that you and your family shut off the electronics and rediscover the great outdoors. Your body will thank you.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Balzac2 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d" height="303" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016303938344970d-800wi" title="Balzac2 web" width="183" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016302bc2a9f970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-03-12T07:41:10Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8948e1f970cRight Information! Wrong Conclusion?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-03-12T07:41:09Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">For decades I have been an advocate for natural health.&#0160; It’s my belief that “good health” is a natural and normal state for the human body, not illness and disease.&#0160; To achieve and maintain good health, one must stick to the basics, ie. Eat a healthy diet, exercise daily, attempt to reduce the stress in your life, receive adequate sleep, etc.&#0160; If you notice, I didn’t say anything about taking prescribed or over-the-counter medication for months, or in many cases years. &#0160;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Given the way medication is advertized in the media and prescribed by our doctors, one may think drugs are a prerequisite for good health.&#0160; It’s my belief if you’re taking a prescribed medication; it should be your doctor’s responsibility to find the root cause of your health issue and get you off the medication as soon as possible.&#0160; But we all know that we live in a world where our “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Illness Care">healthcare system” actually implies, “illness care</a>” and health has very little to do with the system.&#0160; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So you can understand how I enjoyed reading Dr Les Davidson’s blog post below, describing how a doctor in a recent news&#0160;article could review the same research information and come to such a&#0160;different conclusion, and recommendation for his patients (and readers).</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Enjoy the Ride ….. Rob<span id="mce_marker">&#0160;</span></span></p> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux Climb 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d" height="207" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d-800wi" title="Ventoux Climb 1 web" width="150" /></a></span></p> <p><strong> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">&#0160;</span></p> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Right Information, Wrong Conclusion</span></p> </strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The majority of my time as a chiropractor is spent treating mechanical issues like lower back and neck pain. Although my practice is not focused on the management of general health<em> </em>conditions<em>, </em>spines don’t come without a body. &#0160;Take Dave’s body for instance:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave has lived a life of adventure - skydiving with a few rough landings, riding his Harley with a few rough landings and ...well you get the picture. At 63, he is already a marvel of medical science having died once from cardiac arrest. They revived him, put in a couple of stents and he was back on his Harley in no time flat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have been providing chiropractic care to Dave for over 25 years. He says that if he knew he was going to live this long he would have taken better care of himself. He stops by the clinic regularly for an adjustment. The adjustments help him remain agile enough for his physically demanding job repairing heating and air conditioning systems, limber enough so he can play with his young grandson and active enough so he can look forward to his next adventure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">During one of his visits he mentioned a Maclean’s interview with oncologist Dr. Agus, author of, &quot;The End of Illness.&quot; &#0160;<a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/23/the-end-of-illness/" target="_blank" title="Macleans">http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/23/the-end-of-illness/</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Hey Doc. It says here that science can help inflammation so I can continue to work until I reach <em>Freedom 85</em>.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Yes and No.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The right information!</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus’ strategies for the end of illness can be condensed to two commandments:</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Cut down on daily sources of life-threatening inflammation</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Take an active part in your own health care</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I concur completely!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I also agree with the following statements made by Dr. Agus:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The strategies employed by medicine in the fight against infectious disease are not effective with chronic illness</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Systemic inflammation is a common factor in many chronic diseases</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Each person&#39;s health needs are different and unique</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Prolonged sitting is a significant health risk</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some vitamin therapies are contraindicated</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The body is a system</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Regular sleep is critical to good health</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Health care is stuck in the diagnostic model - wait for symptoms to emerge and then treat a disease that is already in progress</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Each person&#39;s health needs are different and unique</span></li> </ol> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The wrong conclusion?</span></strong></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone should consider the flu vaccine regardless of age or underlying health.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone over the age of fifty should take one baby aspirin daily</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone over the age of fifty should be on statin drugs like Lipitor and Crestor</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">How can the same information result in such opposing conclusions? We filter information through different perspectives or lenses! </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus subscribes to the importance of modifying lifestyle risk and yet maintains that the answer to good health is with more pharmacy. He focuses on the benefits and downplays the risks associated with Aspirin, Lipitor and Crestor. For more information on this topic, read Rob&#39;s post title: &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/08/would-you-like-lipitor-with-your-burger.html" target="_blank" title="Lipitor, Crestor">Would you like Lipitor with your burger</a>&quot;.&#0160;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b14929970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rx" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rx" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My perspective is that the continuum of care that &quot;integrative health&quot; offers, empowers patients with knowledge so they can implement conservative care to support their body in optimizing function and then draw upon pharmacy and surgery as a last resort.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus is concerned with the money spent on vitamins which could be better spent on medications. Yet Americans already spend over $200 billion each year on prescription medications.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is critical to become educated. For example in “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Really-Causes-Disease/dp/1844546101" target="_blank" title="Great Cholesterol Con">The Great Cholesterol Con</a>,” cardiologist, Malcolm Kendricks outlines the risks of statins and the shift to selling statins to treat inflammation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave (my patient), like many of us as we get older, have issues with inflamation and pain. My concern is that Dave will look to Dr. Agus’ recommendations as cutting-edge solutions to his health issues. My question for Dave and for us all:</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Do you think symptoms such as inflammation are an appropriate response of the body to certain health challenges, diet or lifestyle factors?</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If yes, then why would we take medications that will suppress this appropriate and natural response? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on changing the factors that cause the inflammation?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave had already quit smoking. We encouraged him to eat&#0160;&#0160;healthier and continue to be active. He left the clinic with Vitamin D and Fish Oil supplements to help his body shift from inflammation ‘naturally’.&#0160; Like I did for Dave, I perscribe the same for you, good health &quot;naturally&quot;.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr. Les</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Mountain Les Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c" height="262" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c-800wi" title="Mountain Les Web" width="194" /></a><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">For decades I have been an advocate for natural health.&#0160; It’s my belief that “good health” is a natural and normal state for the human body, not illness and disease.&#0160; To achieve and maintain good health, one must stick to the basics, ie. Eat a healthy diet, exercise daily, attempt to reduce the stress in your life, receive adequate sleep, etc.&#0160; If you notice, I didn’t say anything about taking prescribed or over-the-counter medication for months, or in many cases years. &#0160;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Given the way medication is advertized in the media and prescribed by our doctors, one may think drugs are a prerequisite for good health.&#0160; It’s my belief if you’re taking a prescribed medication; it should be your doctor’s responsibility to find the root cause of your health issue and get you off the medication as soon as possible.&#0160; But we all know that we live in a world where our “<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Illness Care">healthcare system” actually implies, “illness care</a>” and health has very little to do with the system.&#0160; </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">So you can understand how I enjoyed reading Dr Les Davidson’s blog post below, describing how a doctor in a recent news&#0160;article could review the same research information and come to such a&#0160;different conclusion, and recommendation for his patients (and readers).</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Enjoy the Ride ….. Rob<span id="mce_marker">&#0160;</span></span></p> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Ventoux Climb 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d" height="207" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016302bb8eb3970d-800wi" title="Ventoux Climb 1 web" width="150" /></a></span></p> <p><strong> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">&#0160;</span></p> <p><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Right Information, Wrong Conclusion</span></p> </strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The majority of my time as a chiropractor is spent treating mechanical issues like lower back and neck pain. Although my practice is not focused on the management of general health<em> </em>conditions<em>, </em>spines don’t come without a body. &#0160;Take Dave’s body for instance:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave has lived a life of adventure - skydiving with a few rough landings, riding his Harley with a few rough landings and ...well you get the picture. At 63, he is already a marvel of medical science having died once from cardiac arrest. They revived him, put in a couple of stents and he was back on his Harley in no time flat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have been providing chiropractic care to Dave for over 25 years. He says that if he knew he was going to live this long he would have taken better care of himself. He stops by the clinic regularly for an adjustment. The adjustments help him remain agile enough for his physically demanding job repairing heating and air conditioning systems, limber enough so he can play with his young grandson and active enough so he can look forward to his next adventure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">During one of his visits he mentioned a Maclean’s interview with oncologist Dr. Agus, author of, &quot;The End of Illness.&quot; &#0160;<a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/23/the-end-of-illness/" target="_blank" title="Macleans">http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/23/the-end-of-illness/</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Hey Doc. It says here that science can help inflammation so I can continue to work until I reach <em>Freedom 85</em>.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Yes and No.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The right information!</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus’ strategies for the end of illness can be condensed to two commandments:</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Cut down on daily sources of life-threatening inflammation</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Take an active part in your own health care</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I concur completely!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I also agree with the following statements made by Dr. Agus:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The strategies employed by medicine in the fight against infectious disease are not effective with chronic illness</span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Systemic inflammation is a common factor in many chronic diseases</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Each person&#39;s health needs are different and unique</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Prolonged sitting is a significant health risk</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some vitamin therapies are contraindicated</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The body is a system</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Regular sleep is critical to good health</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Health care is stuck in the diagnostic model - wait for symptoms to emerge and then treat a disease that is already in progress</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Each person&#39;s health needs are different and unique</span></li> </ol> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The wrong conclusion?</span></strong></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone should consider the flu vaccine regardless of age or underlying health.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone over the age of fifty should take one baby aspirin daily</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone over the age of fifty should be on statin drugs like Lipitor and Crestor</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">How can the same information result in such opposing conclusions? We filter information through different perspectives or lenses! </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus subscribes to the importance of modifying lifestyle risk and yet maintains that the answer to good health is with more pharmacy. He focuses on the benefits and downplays the risks associated with Aspirin, Lipitor and Crestor. For more information on this topic, read Rob&#39;s post title: &quot;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/08/would-you-like-lipitor-with-your-burger.html" target="_blank" title="Lipitor, Crestor">Would you like Lipitor with your burger</a>&quot;.&#0160;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b14929970c-pi" style="display: inline;"></a><br /><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Rx" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016763b06097970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Rx" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My perspective is that the continuum of care that &quot;integrative health&quot; offers, empowers patients with knowledge so they can implement conservative care to support their body in optimizing function and then draw upon pharmacy and surgery as a last resort.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Agus is concerned with the money spent on vitamins which could be better spent on medications. Yet Americans already spend over $200 billion each year on prescription medications.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is critical to become educated. For example in “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Really-Causes-Disease/dp/1844546101" target="_blank" title="Great Cholesterol Con">The Great Cholesterol Con</a>,” cardiologist, Malcolm Kendricks outlines the risks of statins and the shift to selling statins to treat inflammation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave (my patient), like many of us as we get older, have issues with inflamation and pain. My concern is that Dave will look to Dr. Agus’ recommendations as cutting-edge solutions to his health issues. My question for Dave and for us all:</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Do you think symptoms such as inflammation are an appropriate response of the body to certain health challenges, diet or lifestyle factors?</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If yes, then why would we take medications that will suppress this appropriate and natural response? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on changing the factors that cause the inflammation?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dave had already quit smoking. We encouraged him to eat&#0160;&#0160;healthier and continue to be active. He left the clinic with Vitamin D and Fish Oil supplements to help his body shift from inflammation ‘naturally’.&#0160; Like I did for Dave, I perscribe the same for you, good health &quot;naturally&quot;.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr. Les</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Mountain Les Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c" height="262" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8b13f76970c-800wi" title="Mountain Les Web" width="194" /></a><br /></span></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b01676370e7e7970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-03-05T19:37:07Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0163026e58d4970dHEALTH & DIET MISCONCEPTIONS http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-03-05T19:37:06Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>It’s now the beginning of March and I&#39;ll bet a few of you declared a New Year’s resolution to achieve better health this year.&#0160; If studies are correct, 78% of you have given up on that crazy notion and reverted back to your old ways and are using inaccurate misconceptions to justify your change of heart.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="New Years Resolution" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b" height="218" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="New Years Resolution" width="307" /></a></p> <p>I wrote a blog a while back about all the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/15-common-exercise-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise Excuses">excuses I hear why people don’t exercise</a>.&#0160; Well here are some popular misconceptions I hear when it comes to starting or sticking with healthy habits.&#0160; The following ideas might seem like reasonable assumptions, but the research suggests otherwise. Here are eight misconceptions that might be getting in the way of your healthy resolution.</p> <p><strong>1.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>My doctor will tell me if I have a weight problem </strong></p> <p>If you think your doctor will alert you that your weight is putting your health at risk, think again.&#0160; You’re better off looking at yourself in the mirror for an accurate assessment. And be honest with what you see.&#0160; A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that less than half of those who were overweight and only two-thirds of those who were obese were told during the past year by their doctor that they were too heavy. &#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Illness care">Doctors are trained to treat illness</a>, not prevent it, so don’t expect them to tell you to lose the weight until you have a weight related crisis to deal with.&#0160; And by then it could be too late.</p> <p>Furthermore, according to Dr. Christine Gerbstabt MD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of “<a href="http://doctorsdetoxdiet.com/" target="_blank" title="Doctors Detox Diet">Doctor’s Detox Diet</a>”, “weight is a touchy subject, especially for women, which might partially explain why female physicians are less likely to bring up weight with their patients. Plus, doctors sometimes figure that their patients have the resources to address weight issues on their own because there&#39;s so much diet and fitness information available to the public domain.&quot;&#0160; Which we also know is untrue.</p> <p><strong>2.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I&#39;ll eat less calories if I skip breakfast </strong></p> <p>Please drill this into your head: Skipping breakfast won&#39;t save you calories. &quot;People have this notion that if they don&#39;t eat breakfast they&#39;ll save calories, or can cheat-eat later in the day, but it really doesn&#39;t work that way,&quot; says Gerbstadt. &quot;Your body needs food in small increments throughout the day to stay powered, and research shows that people who eat 400 to 600 calories at breakfast are less likely to be overweight.&quot; Starting your day with a morning meal can help jump-start your metabolism by 10 percent and prevents you from overindulging on snacks and large meals later in the day because you&#39;re ravenous.</p> <p>If you typically don&#39;t feel hungry in the morning, I suggest you skip dinner - just once or twice - to reset your appetite clock.&#0160; Many people say they&#39;re just not hungry when they wake up, but this is because they ate too much at dinner,&#0160;or ate unhealthy snacks all through the evening up until bedtime. Another suggestion is to stop eating after 7:30pm in the evening, this way, you&#39;ll be sure to wake up hungry.</p> <p><strong>3.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>Taking the stairs takes too long </strong></p> <p>Sorry, but taking the elevator at work isn&#39;t just lazy, it&#39;s inefficient, too. &#0160;Nothing frustrates me more than seeing a person take the elevator for one to five floors.&#0160; Worse still, if they&#39;re overweight and holding a can of Coke or a bag of chips.&#0160; I work with a guy that almost never takes an elevator, (only if he has to climb greater than 20 flights of stairs!).&#0160; And it should be no surprise that he’s in amazing shape.&#0160; A Canadian study calculated that when you factor in the time you spend waiting for an elevator to arrive; taking the stairs will actually save you about 15 minutes each workday. Researchers timed hospital workers making trips between one and six floors, and found that it took 2.8 times longer per floor to travel by elevator than by stairwell. So the next time you catch yourself complaining about being too busy to work out, taking the stairs is a healthy way to gain a few minutes to your day.</p> <p><strong>4.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I lost 10lbs, that’s good enough </strong></p> <p>Don’t settle with mediocrity.&#0160; Losing 10 pounds may feel good, but if you&#39;re overweight or obese, a small dip in weight is only the beginning and&#0160;not the finish line. &#0160;Your goal weight should be very close to your graduating high school weight, (assuming you weren’t overweight when you graduated).&#0160;</p> <p>I’m training a 50+ year old fellow right now who had a starting weight of around 240lbs and when asked what his goal weight should be, he was somewhat surprised when I suggested his high school weight, which was around 170lbs.&#0160;&#0160;Six months after starting, his weight is&#0160;a very healthy 179lb, with only 9lbs to go!&#0160; When we started, I said we would focus on healthy lifestyle choices (Diet, Exercise, Rest, Reduced Stress)&#0160;and the weight will take care of itself.&#0160; The results below speak for themself:</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before and After" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c-800wi" title="Peter Before and After" /></a><br />While short-term studies have concluded that obese people can see significant improvements in their heart health after a 5 percent weight loss, a new 10-year Swedish study found that you most likely need to lose twice this much to yield meaningful results. Obese people who lost 4 percent of their body weight showed no significant improvements in terms of major health risk factors, like blood pressure, diabetes, or any of a number of weight related degenerative diseases.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>5.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I’ll just work off that extra Big Mac</strong></p> <p>You probably know a thing or two about calories; like you need to eat less of them and burn more of them if you want to see the number on the scale go down, but chances are you may underestimate the effort associated with &quot;burning&quot; those extra calories off your body.</p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00109" target="_blank" title="Mayo Clinic">Mayo Clinic</a>, one MacDonalds Big Mac (540 calories)&#0160;<a href="http://www.thebostonchannel.com/slideshow/28875846/detail.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise required to Burn off Junk Food">requires over an hour of stationary rowing to burn it off</a>.&#0160; A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that when teens read a sign that said it takes 50 minutes of jogging to burn off a bottle of Coca Cola, sales fell 50% compared with those teens who just read the number of calories, suggesting that people have a false sense about how many calories they consume versus the exercise required to burn off those extra unhealthy calories. &#0160;People I speak with have a false understanding how easy it is to consume calories and how hard it is to burn them off. &#0160;So, my advice is to always be mindful of what you eat, because unless you’re training for an Ironman, exercise alone won’t address your weight gain associated with the consumption of unhealthy high calorie foods. choices</p> <p><strong>6.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I&#39;m in control of what I&#39;m eating </strong></p> <p>Sure you&#39;re in control and you have no one to blame for eating that extra cookie, or slice of apple pie&#0160;but yourself, but no matter how strong your willpower, you may be consuming more food without even knowing it. A number of studies show that there are sneaky, subliminal factors that affect how much we serve ourselves. Not only do people dish out and eat larger portions when using bigger spoons, plates and bowls, as I spoke about in my <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/09/our-ever-growing-portion-sizes.html" target="_blank" title="Portion Control">Portion Control</a> blog post a few months ago, but they also tend to eat more when their food is a similar color to their plate, say researchers from Cornell University. &#0160;<a href="http://mindlesseating.org/" target="_blank" title="Mindless Eating">Mindless-eating expert Brian Wansink</a> found that people were more likely to dish out a big helping of pasta Alfredo on a white plate than a red one. No wonder when I vacation in Tuscany the Itialians serve their pasta in those brightly colored bowls in reduced quantities.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>7.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>&#0160;It&#39;s too expensive to eat healthy </strong></p> <p>I often get the excuse from all income brackets that it’s too expensive to eat healthy.&#0160; Times may be lean, but eating healthy doesn&#39;t have to be a luxury. &#0160;A 2011 study in Health Affairs calculated that following the USDA&#39;s MyPlate guidelines would only cost an extra $380 a year in groceries, or $1.04 a day. Also, findings from George Washington University researchers show that obese women earned $5,826 less per year than their thinner counterparts - so maybe eating right is worth the investment, both physically and financially.</p> <p>Eating healthy doesn&#39;t have to be exotic or gourmet. &#0160;To see just how much it would cost to shape up your eating habits, try tallying a week&#39;s worth of food and meal receipts – count everything and don’t cheat.&#0160; Include your $15 lunch to your $4 Starbucks cappuccino - and then compare it with 7-day&#39;s worth of well planned healthy groceries. &#0160;Studies say it’s usually less expensive compared with how much you&#39;re spending dining out and eating on the run.</p> <p><strong>8.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>&#0160;A little snack won&#39;t hurt </strong></p> <p>Well, that depends on your perception of what qualifies as a snack and how often you&#39;re noshing between meals. &#0160;Remember point #5 above, and it’s not just what you eat that counts, but when you eat it. &#0160;Investigating the snacking habits over the course of a year, researchers found that healthy midmorning snackers lost 7 percent of their body weight compared with those who ate their healthy snack later in the day, who lost 11 percent of their body weight. Why? Midmorning snackers usually didn&#39;t stop at just one snack and tended to eat another later in the day too, as opposed to afternoon snackers.</p> <p>The problem with snacking is that people don&#39;t know what a snack is.&#0160; A snack is nutritious and filling; it bridges meals and is no more than 200 calories. &#0160;Snack packs, cookies and candies aren&#39;t snacks - they&#39;re treats. You need to know the difference and know that there is a limit.</p> <p><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p>Hopefully, those of you that started down the path of healthy choices back in January are still committed to those resolutions as the day you started.&#0160; If not, hopefully this little post will re-focus your commitment and get you back on track.&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c" height="192" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" width="257" /></a></p> <p>It’s now the beginning of March and I&#39;ll bet a few of you declared a New Year’s resolution to achieve better health this year.&#0160; If studies are correct, 78% of you have given up on that crazy notion and reverted back to your old ways and are using inaccurate misconceptions to justify your change of heart.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="New Years Resolution" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b" height="218" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167636f4eb7970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="New Years Resolution" width="307" /></a></p> <p>I wrote a blog a while back about all the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/15-common-exercise-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise Excuses">excuses I hear why people don’t exercise</a>.&#0160; Well here are some popular misconceptions I hear when it comes to starting or sticking with healthy habits.&#0160; The following ideas might seem like reasonable assumptions, but the research suggests otherwise. Here are eight misconceptions that might be getting in the way of your healthy resolution.</p> <p><strong>1.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>My doctor will tell me if I have a weight problem </strong></p> <p>If you think your doctor will alert you that your weight is putting your health at risk, think again.&#0160; You’re better off looking at yourself in the mirror for an accurate assessment. And be honest with what you see.&#0160; A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that less than half of those who were overweight and only two-thirds of those who were obese were told during the past year by their doctor that they were too heavy. &#0160;<a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Illness care">Doctors are trained to treat illness</a>, not prevent it, so don’t expect them to tell you to lose the weight until you have a weight related crisis to deal with.&#0160; And by then it could be too late.</p> <p>Furthermore, according to Dr. Christine Gerbstabt MD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of “<a href="http://doctorsdetoxdiet.com/" target="_blank" title="Doctors Detox Diet">Doctor’s Detox Diet</a>”, “weight is a touchy subject, especially for women, which might partially explain why female physicians are less likely to bring up weight with their patients. Plus, doctors sometimes figure that their patients have the resources to address weight issues on their own because there&#39;s so much diet and fitness information available to the public domain.&quot;&#0160; Which we also know is untrue.</p> <p><strong>2.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I&#39;ll eat less calories if I skip breakfast </strong></p> <p>Please drill this into your head: Skipping breakfast won&#39;t save you calories. &quot;People have this notion that if they don&#39;t eat breakfast they&#39;ll save calories, or can cheat-eat later in the day, but it really doesn&#39;t work that way,&quot; says Gerbstadt. &quot;Your body needs food in small increments throughout the day to stay powered, and research shows that people who eat 400 to 600 calories at breakfast are less likely to be overweight.&quot; Starting your day with a morning meal can help jump-start your metabolism by 10 percent and prevents you from overindulging on snacks and large meals later in the day because you&#39;re ravenous.</p> <p>If you typically don&#39;t feel hungry in the morning, I suggest you skip dinner - just once or twice - to reset your appetite clock.&#0160; Many people say they&#39;re just not hungry when they wake up, but this is because they ate too much at dinner,&#0160;or ate unhealthy snacks all through the evening up until bedtime. Another suggestion is to stop eating after 7:30pm in the evening, this way, you&#39;ll be sure to wake up hungry.</p> <p><strong>3.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>Taking the stairs takes too long </strong></p> <p>Sorry, but taking the elevator at work isn&#39;t just lazy, it&#39;s inefficient, too. &#0160;Nothing frustrates me more than seeing a person take the elevator for one to five floors.&#0160; Worse still, if they&#39;re overweight and holding a can of Coke or a bag of chips.&#0160; I work with a guy that almost never takes an elevator, (only if he has to climb greater than 20 flights of stairs!).&#0160; And it should be no surprise that he’s in amazing shape.&#0160; A Canadian study calculated that when you factor in the time you spend waiting for an elevator to arrive; taking the stairs will actually save you about 15 minutes each workday. Researchers timed hospital workers making trips between one and six floors, and found that it took 2.8 times longer per floor to travel by elevator than by stairwell. So the next time you catch yourself complaining about being too busy to work out, taking the stairs is a healthy way to gain a few minutes to your day.</p> <p><strong>4.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I lost 10lbs, that’s good enough </strong></p> <p>Don’t settle with mediocrity.&#0160; Losing 10 pounds may feel good, but if you&#39;re overweight or obese, a small dip in weight is only the beginning and&#0160;not the finish line. &#0160;Your goal weight should be very close to your graduating high school weight, (assuming you weren’t overweight when you graduated).&#0160;</p> <p>I’m training a 50+ year old fellow right now who had a starting weight of around 240lbs and when asked what his goal weight should be, he was somewhat surprised when I suggested his high school weight, which was around 170lbs.&#0160;&#0160;Six months after starting, his weight is&#0160;a very healthy 179lb, with only 9lbs to go!&#0160; When we started, I said we would focus on healthy lifestyle choices (Diet, Exercise, Rest, Reduced Stress)&#0160;and the weight will take care of itself.&#0160; The results below speak for themself:</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Peter Before and After" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c image-full" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e870d7ba970c-800wi" title="Peter Before and After" /></a><br />While short-term studies have concluded that obese people can see significant improvements in their heart health after a 5 percent weight loss, a new 10-year Swedish study found that you most likely need to lose twice this much to yield meaningful results. Obese people who lost 4 percent of their body weight showed no significant improvements in terms of major health risk factors, like blood pressure, diabetes, or any of a number of weight related degenerative diseases.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>5.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I’ll just work off that extra Big Mac</strong></p> <p>You probably know a thing or two about calories; like you need to eat less of them and burn more of them if you want to see the number on the scale go down, but chances are you may underestimate the effort associated with &quot;burning&quot; those extra calories off your body.</p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00109" target="_blank" title="Mayo Clinic">Mayo Clinic</a>, one MacDonalds Big Mac (540 calories)&#0160;<a href="http://www.thebostonchannel.com/slideshow/28875846/detail.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise required to Burn off Junk Food">requires over an hour of stationary rowing to burn it off</a>.&#0160; A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that when teens read a sign that said it takes 50 minutes of jogging to burn off a bottle of Coca Cola, sales fell 50% compared with those teens who just read the number of calories, suggesting that people have a false sense about how many calories they consume versus the exercise required to burn off those extra unhealthy calories. &#0160;People I speak with have a false understanding how easy it is to consume calories and how hard it is to burn them off. &#0160;So, my advice is to always be mindful of what you eat, because unless you’re training for an Ironman, exercise alone won’t address your weight gain associated with the consumption of unhealthy high calorie foods. choices</p> <p><strong>6.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>I&#39;m in control of what I&#39;m eating </strong></p> <p>Sure you&#39;re in control and you have no one to blame for eating that extra cookie, or slice of apple pie&#0160;but yourself, but no matter how strong your willpower, you may be consuming more food without even knowing it. A number of studies show that there are sneaky, subliminal factors that affect how much we serve ourselves. Not only do people dish out and eat larger portions when using bigger spoons, plates and bowls, as I spoke about in my <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/09/our-ever-growing-portion-sizes.html" target="_blank" title="Portion Control">Portion Control</a> blog post a few months ago, but they also tend to eat more when their food is a similar color to their plate, say researchers from Cornell University. &#0160;<a href="http://mindlesseating.org/" target="_blank" title="Mindless Eating">Mindless-eating expert Brian Wansink</a> found that people were more likely to dish out a big helping of pasta Alfredo on a white plate than a red one. No wonder when I vacation in Tuscany the Itialians serve their pasta in those brightly colored bowls in reduced quantities.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>7.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>&#0160;It&#39;s too expensive to eat healthy </strong></p> <p>I often get the excuse from all income brackets that it’s too expensive to eat healthy.&#0160; Times may be lean, but eating healthy doesn&#39;t have to be a luxury. &#0160;A 2011 study in Health Affairs calculated that following the USDA&#39;s MyPlate guidelines would only cost an extra $380 a year in groceries, or $1.04 a day. Also, findings from George Washington University researchers show that obese women earned $5,826 less per year than their thinner counterparts - so maybe eating right is worth the investment, both physically and financially.</p> <p>Eating healthy doesn&#39;t have to be exotic or gourmet. &#0160;To see just how much it would cost to shape up your eating habits, try tallying a week&#39;s worth of food and meal receipts – count everything and don’t cheat.&#0160; Include your $15 lunch to your $4 Starbucks cappuccino - and then compare it with 7-day&#39;s worth of well planned healthy groceries. &#0160;Studies say it’s usually less expensive compared with how much you&#39;re spending dining out and eating on the run.</p> <p><strong>8.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160; </strong><strong>&#0160;A little snack won&#39;t hurt </strong></p> <p>Well, that depends on your perception of what qualifies as a snack and how often you&#39;re noshing between meals. &#0160;Remember point #5 above, and it’s not just what you eat that counts, but when you eat it. &#0160;Investigating the snacking habits over the course of a year, researchers found that healthy midmorning snackers lost 7 percent of their body weight compared with those who ate their healthy snack later in the day, who lost 11 percent of their body weight. Why? Midmorning snackers usually didn&#39;t stop at just one snack and tended to eat another later in the day too, as opposed to afternoon snackers.</p> <p>The problem with snacking is that people don&#39;t know what a snack is.&#0160; A snack is nutritious and filling; it bridges meals and is no more than 200 calories. &#0160;Snack packs, cookies and candies aren&#39;t snacks - they&#39;re treats. You need to know the difference and know that there is a limit.</p> <p><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p>Hopefully, those of you that started down the path of healthy choices back in January are still committed to those resolutions as the day you started.&#0160; If not, hopefully this little post will re-focus your commitment and get you back on track.&#0160;</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride….Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c" height="192" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e8708434970c-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" width="257" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016301eaf931970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-02-24T01:57:02Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e16885970cIf he can do it, you can do it too. No excuses.http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-02-24T01:57:01Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">I wrote a bog post a while back about the <a href=" http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/15-common-exercise-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Excuses">most common excuses </a>I hear from people why they don’t exercise and make health a priority in their life. At the age of 86 my father is extremely healthy. He eats a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, limits the starchy foods, doesn’t smoke, rarely drinks and he exercises every day. He does 10km of a kind of walk-jog thing to keep himself in shape. And when I say every day, I mean it! He says he dedicates every morning to exercise, regardless of whether it’s in the rain, shine, snow or sleet, he’s on the roads making tracks.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dad Running In Greece" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dad Running In Greece" /></a></p> <p>Well, I came across another motivating story that makes my father look like a young buck that I just had to share with you.&#0160; <strong>Mr. Robert Marchand </strong>of France set the one hour world cycling record for a human over the age of 100!&#0160; Talk about being committed to one’s health.&#0160; In a world where the developed nations see increasing numbers of adults and young people that are overweight and obese, and suffering from preventable degenerative diseases, this centenarian proves that a lifetime committed to one’s health is rewarded with a life that’s not only long, but of the highest quality.&#0160;</p> <p>Mr. Marchand says he’s lucky that he hasn’t had any health issues throughout his life.&#0160; I contend that luck has little to do with it.&#0160; As Dr. Kenneth Cooper (the father of modern day aerobics) once said, <strong>“We don’t stop exercising because we’re old; we become old when we stop exercising”</strong>.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Below, I have copied the entire story from <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/02/news/centenarian-claims-hour-record_206632" target="_blank" title="Velo News">Velo News</a>.&#0160; If this doesn’t inspire you to get up and move, I don’t know what will.&#0160;</p> <p>Well, time for a ride and I’m going to dedicate it to Mr. Marchand.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p>&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col Agnel 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d-800wi" title="Col Agnel 1 web" width="292" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Centenarian claims hour record</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">By UCI Communication Services and AFP</span></span> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="100 year old hour record 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c" height="267" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="100 year old hour record 2" width="380" /></a><strong><br /></strong></span>At the age of 14 he entered his first cycling event under a false name because he was too young: yesterday he established the first-ever best hour performance… in the category over 100 years.</p> <p>And that pretty much sums up the personage of Robert Marchand. Full of energy and motivation, when he gets an idea in his head, nothing will stop him.The centenarian rode 24.25 km (15.1 miles) in 60 minutes watched by crowds of cheering supporters at the International Cycling Union (UCI) velodrome in Aigle, Switzerland.</p> <p>The feat does not threaten the 49.7 km (30.8 miles) achieved by Czech cyclist Ondrej Sosenka in 2005 at the age of 29, but it will be recognized by the UCI in a new over-100s category.&#0160; But I’m not playing at being a champion,” he said. “I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday.”</p> <p>With that intention in mind, less than three months after his birthday, he made the trip from his studio in Mitry-Mory (near Paris) to Switzerland to attempt the world hour performance on the center’s velodrome. The suggestion that Marchand make the attempt came from Gérard Mistler, president of the Ardéchoise Cyclo-Promotion, an annual sportif event that Marchand never misses.</p> <p>I think he is a human example of the benefits of cycling,” said Mistler. “The fact that this performance is achieved at the WCC, headquarters of the International Cycling Union, is truly symbolic.”</p> <p>With Mistler taking care of the administrative side of this record attempt, the athlete himself was able to concentrate on his preparation, which included familiarizing himself with the center’s track during the four days directly preceding the official date. While his ability to ride non-stop for an hour was not a concern,&#0160; Marchand had to dig deep into his personal cycling history to retrieve the sensations of riding on the track.</p> <p>“I haven’t cycled on a track for 80 years. You have to get used to the fixed gear. I prefer cycling outside but that is impossible at the moment,” he complained as he watched the snow fall heavily outside the WCC. “I don’t want to catch the flu. So I am short on training.”</p> <p>His build-up at the WCC included a first initiation under the watchful eye and guidance of Magali Humbert, former junior world champion in the sprint and multiple French champion. The following days, he rode around the track accompanied by his “coach” Humbert, increasing his time in the saddle as the day of his challenge approached.</p> <p>“The track is small. You just turn round and round,” he commented after one of the training sessions. “I could keep going for another hour. I’ve been told not to raise my pulse too high so I’m not even tired.”</p> <p>For all his physical exploits, this man of small stature but big personality is obedient and follows medical advice. He has been told not to go raise his pulse over 110, and it is a rule he respects with reverence, for the most part. “I did climb a steep hill not long ago and went up to 134 but it’s best to avoid that,” he admits with a mischievous chuckle. “But I would be very surprised if I had heart attack,” he offers spontaneously. Marchand’s first ever cardiograph last week revealed that his heart was in excellent condition.</p> <p>Optimism aside, he knows his limits and remains cautious. “For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more than 100km. There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some time yet.”</p> <p>These words of wisdom come from a man who last competed in the Bordeaux-Paris race at nearly 90 years of age, completing the 600km in 36 hours. In addition to filling sportif event results with his name, Marchand has a mountain pass named after him.&#0160;</p> <p>What is his secret? How is it possible to be in such frighteningly good physical, and mental, health at 100 years old?&#0160; “I’ve never abused anything. I don’t smoke, I never drank much. The only thing I did in excess was work. I retired at 89 years old.”</p> <p>His many jobs include looking after cattle, his first job as a boy, his time as a gymnastics monitor with the Paris Fire Department, his eight years in Venezuela as a driver, his three years in Canada where he was a woodcutter. Then there are the myriad other sports he was involved in when he was younger: boxing, gymnastics (he was French champion in the pyramid as the lightweight at the top), weightlifting (“I was good,” he explained. “I could have been a champion”).</p> <p>“I have to try to resume everything or we’ll be here all night.” It would certainly be worth staying up all night to listen to this man who has a memory that would put anyone to shame and stories to keep any audience captivated.</p> <p>“But basically, I am like everybody,” said Marchand. “I am lucky that I haven’t had any major health problems. My advice to anyone, young or old, is to keep moving. I do ‘physical culture’ every day. It works out my whole body and keeps me supple. Some people when they reach 80 years old, start playing cards and they stay immobile. Not me. I’ve never been able to keep still.” Clearly.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="100 year old hour record 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="100 year old hour record 3" /></a></p> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">I wrote a bog post a while back about the <a href=" http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/15-common-exercise-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Excuses">most common excuses </a>I hear from people why they don’t exercise and make health a priority in their life. At the age of 86 my father is extremely healthy. He eats a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, limits the starchy foods, doesn’t smoke, rarely drinks and he exercises every day. He does 10km of a kind of walk-jog thing to keep himself in shape. And when I say every day, I mean it! He says he dedicates every morning to exercise, regardless of whether it’s in the rain, shine, snow or sleet, he’s on the roads making tracks.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dad Running In Greece" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e138c1970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dad Running In Greece" /></a></p> <p>Well, I came across another motivating story that makes my father look like a young buck that I just had to share with you.&#0160; <strong>Mr. Robert Marchand </strong>of France set the one hour world cycling record for a human over the age of 100!&#0160; Talk about being committed to one’s health.&#0160; In a world where the developed nations see increasing numbers of adults and young people that are overweight and obese, and suffering from preventable degenerative diseases, this centenarian proves that a lifetime committed to one’s health is rewarded with a life that’s not only long, but of the highest quality.&#0160;</p> <p>Mr. Marchand says he’s lucky that he hasn’t had any health issues throughout his life.&#0160; I contend that luck has little to do with it.&#0160; As Dr. Kenneth Cooper (the father of modern day aerobics) once said, <strong>“We don’t stop exercising because we’re old; we become old when we stop exercising”</strong>.&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Below, I have copied the entire story from <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/02/news/centenarian-claims-hour-record_206632" target="_blank" title="Velo News">Velo News</a>.&#0160; If this doesn’t inspire you to get up and move, I don’t know what will.&#0160;</p> <p>Well, time for a ride and I’m going to dedicate it to Mr. Marchand.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p>&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col Agnel 1 web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016301eaa689970d-800wi" title="Col Agnel 1 web" width="292" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Centenarian claims hour record</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">By UCI Communication Services and AFP</span></span> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="100 year old hour record 2" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c" height="267" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e15b08970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="100 year old hour record 2" width="380" /></a><strong><br /></strong></span>At the age of 14 he entered his first cycling event under a false name because he was too young: yesterday he established the first-ever best hour performance… in the category over 100 years.</p> <p>And that pretty much sums up the personage of Robert Marchand. Full of energy and motivation, when he gets an idea in his head, nothing will stop him.The centenarian rode 24.25 km (15.1 miles) in 60 minutes watched by crowds of cheering supporters at the International Cycling Union (UCI) velodrome in Aigle, Switzerland.</p> <p>The feat does not threaten the 49.7 km (30.8 miles) achieved by Czech cyclist Ondrej Sosenka in 2005 at the age of 29, but it will be recognized by the UCI in a new over-100s category.&#0160; But I’m not playing at being a champion,” he said. “I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday.”</p> <p>With that intention in mind, less than three months after his birthday, he made the trip from his studio in Mitry-Mory (near Paris) to Switzerland to attempt the world hour performance on the center’s velodrome. The suggestion that Marchand make the attempt came from Gérard Mistler, president of the Ardéchoise Cyclo-Promotion, an annual sportif event that Marchand never misses.</p> <p>I think he is a human example of the benefits of cycling,” said Mistler. “The fact that this performance is achieved at the WCC, headquarters of the International Cycling Union, is truly symbolic.”</p> <p>With Mistler taking care of the administrative side of this record attempt, the athlete himself was able to concentrate on his preparation, which included familiarizing himself with the center’s track during the four days directly preceding the official date. While his ability to ride non-stop for an hour was not a concern,&#0160; Marchand had to dig deep into his personal cycling history to retrieve the sensations of riding on the track.</p> <p>“I haven’t cycled on a track for 80 years. You have to get used to the fixed gear. I prefer cycling outside but that is impossible at the moment,” he complained as he watched the snow fall heavily outside the WCC. “I don’t want to catch the flu. So I am short on training.”</p> <p>His build-up at the WCC included a first initiation under the watchful eye and guidance of Magali Humbert, former junior world champion in the sprint and multiple French champion. The following days, he rode around the track accompanied by his “coach” Humbert, increasing his time in the saddle as the day of his challenge approached.</p> <p>“The track is small. You just turn round and round,” he commented after one of the training sessions. “I could keep going for another hour. I’ve been told not to raise my pulse too high so I’m not even tired.”</p> <p>For all his physical exploits, this man of small stature but big personality is obedient and follows medical advice. He has been told not to go raise his pulse over 110, and it is a rule he respects with reverence, for the most part. “I did climb a steep hill not long ago and went up to 134 but it’s best to avoid that,” he admits with a mischievous chuckle. “But I would be very surprised if I had heart attack,” he offers spontaneously. Marchand’s first ever cardiograph last week revealed that his heart was in excellent condition.</p> <p>Optimism aside, he knows his limits and remains cautious. “For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more than 100km. There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some time yet.”</p> <p>These words of wisdom come from a man who last competed in the Bordeaux-Paris race at nearly 90 years of age, completing the 600km in 36 hours. In addition to filling sportif event results with his name, Marchand has a mountain pass named after him.&#0160;</p> <p>What is his secret? How is it possible to be in such frighteningly good physical, and mental, health at 100 years old?&#0160; “I’ve never abused anything. I don’t smoke, I never drank much. The only thing I did in excess was work. I retired at 89 years old.”</p> <p>His many jobs include looking after cattle, his first job as a boy, his time as a gymnastics monitor with the Paris Fire Department, his eight years in Venezuela as a driver, his three years in Canada where he was a woodcutter. Then there are the myriad other sports he was involved in when he was younger: boxing, gymnastics (he was French champion in the pyramid as the lightweight at the top), weightlifting (“I was good,” he explained. “I could have been a champion”).</p> <p>“I have to try to resume everything or we’ll be here all night.” It would certainly be worth staying up all night to listen to this man who has a memory that would put anyone to shame and stories to keep any audience captivated.</p> <p>“But basically, I am like everybody,” said Marchand. “I am lucky that I haven’t had any major health problems. My advice to anyone, young or old, is to keep moving. I do ‘physical culture’ every day. It works out my whole body and keeps me supple. Some people when they reach 80 years old, start playing cards and they stay immobile. Not me. I’ve never been able to keep still.” Clearly.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="100 year old hour record 3" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7e162f7970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="100 year old hour record 3" /></a></p> </p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016762975ecb970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-02-19T04:22:55Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b016301a1b02b970dWhat Can We Do To Be Healthierhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-02-19T04:22:54Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">I&#39;ve already learned a number of things by having&#0160;Dr Les contribute to my blog:</p> <ol> <li>I learn something new with each of his posts that I will integrate into my life;</li> <li>I&#39;ve learned he has a much larger vocabulary than I and I&#39;ll have to pull out the dictionary more often when writing future posts to keep up;</li> <li>I&#39;ve learned how&#0160;nice it is to have someone of his caliber share the writing load.</li> </ol> <p>Enjoy the Ride ..... Rbb</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" width="280" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>What can we do to be Healthier?</strong></span></p> <p><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salutogenesis" target="_blank">Salutogenesis</a></strong> is a term coined by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Antonovsky" target="_blank" title="Aaron Antonovsky">Aaron Antonovsky</a>. The word comes from the root <em>salus</em> meaning invulnerability and <em>genesis</em> meaning formation. Salutogenesis asks the question, <em><strong>“What can we do to be healthier?”&#0160; </strong></em>It is the opposite of pathogenesis which asks the question, “What causes us to be sick!” &#0160;</p> <p>I would like to dig deeper into these elements of good health. Speaking of digging deeper, a metaphor for great health is fluffy deep snow! Let me explain.</p> <p>Meterology is obviously not a perfect science. The forecast was for a return of El Nino - a long cold winter with lots of snow in the Rockies. Each year we buy a family ski pass at Nakiska. &#0160;Just 45 minutes from Calgary, Nakiska provides a fantastic day of exercise, fresh air and family fun. <a href="http://www.skinakiska.com/" target="_blank" title="Nakiska">http://www.skinakiska.com/</a> Typically Nakiska opens on a man-made snow base with hard-packed cruising runs throughout the season. Fun, but it doesn’t compare to the feeling of floating down the mountain carving turns with bursts of powder spraying in your face.</p> <p>Over the years, I have had the good fortune to ski untracked slopes of deep, fresh snow. If you have ever skied fresh powder, you know what I’m talking about. Great snow comes from the perfect combination of moisture, temperature and wind. These factors and other intangibles produce light, fluffy snowflakes – the kind that skiers love to ski on. These snowflakes are very different in composition and performance characteristics than manmade snow. &#0160;</p> <p>Similarily, body composition and performance characteristics of healthy people are very different than that of unhealthy people. When we measure all the factors: body composition, blood chemistry, range of motion, movement patterns, performance characteristics correlated to age and gender and then look at the combination of other factors like: the interplay of genetics, nutrition, activity, rest, mental attitude, hormonal balance and nervous system function, the degree of health and wellness becomes apparent. &#0160;And then there are the other factors – the intangible ones that contribute to a full well-lived life like empowerment, coherence, a close network of family and friends, a sense of purpose, a sense of community….</p> <p>Obviously, the number of permutations and combinations of factors makes it impossible to have a specific one-size- fits-all health formula or like the weather to predict with complete accuracy who will get sick and who will not. There is an explosion of research and information which, while sometimes helpful, is often contradictory and confusing for anyone trying to <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle">make good lifestyle choices</a>. But if we ask the <strong>Salutogenesis</strong> question, “What can we do to be healthier?” we need to look at all factors – the tangible ones and the intangible ones.</p> <p>&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSCN0808" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0808" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Ford Davidson 2004</em></p> <p>The <strong>Salutogenesis</strong> question I have for you today is, “Are you empowered and making conscious and informed health-promoting choices?</p> <p>&#0160;<strong>Be empowered </strong>– here are some ideas to start</p> <ol> <li>Create a binder and collect the data from your lab tests – cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, BMI (check the excellent blog post Rob posted a few months ago: <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/know-your-numbers.html" target="_blank" title="Know Your Numbers">http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/know-your-numbers.html</a></li> <li>Track and analyze your diet <a href="http://www.myfooddiary.com/" target="_blank">http://www.myfooddiary.com/</a>);</li> <li>Get a baseline fitness test <a href="http://www.sportdevelopment.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sportdevelopment.com/</a></li> <li>Have your posture and spine checked by a chiropractor <a href="http://www.acac.com/" target="_blank">http://www.acac.com/</a> ;</li> <li>Have a wellness check up with your family physician;</li> <li>Volunteer in your community&#0160; &#0160;<a href="http://www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/" target="_blank">www.<strong>volunteercalgary</strong>.ab.ca/</a><cite>;</cite></li> <li><cite></cite>Organize an activity with family or friends to ski, skate or hike</li> </ol> <p>I plan to share with you in future posts my insights from reviews of the research, caring for patients and what I have learned from the lifestyles of people with great health.</p> <p>Remember all that is important counts, but all that is important can’t be counted!</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr. Les</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Les D" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c" height="174" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c-800wi" title="Les D" width="209" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">I&#39;ve already learned a number of things by having&#0160;Dr Les contribute to my blog:</p> <ol> <li>I learn something new with each of his posts that I will integrate into my life;</li> <li>I&#39;ve learned he has a much larger vocabulary than I and I&#39;ll have to pull out the dictionary more often when writing future posts to keep up;</li> <li>I&#39;ve learned how&#0160;nice it is to have someone of his caliber share the writing load.</li> </ol> <p>Enjoy the Ride ..... Rbb</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676296fcbe970b-800wi" title="Col d&#39;Izoard 13 Web" width="280" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>What can we do to be Healthier?</strong></span></p> <p><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salutogenesis" target="_blank">Salutogenesis</a></strong> is a term coined by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Antonovsky" target="_blank" title="Aaron Antonovsky">Aaron Antonovsky</a>. The word comes from the root <em>salus</em> meaning invulnerability and <em>genesis</em> meaning formation. Salutogenesis asks the question, <em><strong>“What can we do to be healthier?”&#0160; </strong></em>It is the opposite of pathogenesis which asks the question, “What causes us to be sick!” &#0160;</p> <p>I would like to dig deeper into these elements of good health. Speaking of digging deeper, a metaphor for great health is fluffy deep snow! Let me explain.</p> <p>Meterology is obviously not a perfect science. The forecast was for a return of El Nino - a long cold winter with lots of snow in the Rockies. Each year we buy a family ski pass at Nakiska. &#0160;Just 45 minutes from Calgary, Nakiska provides a fantastic day of exercise, fresh air and family fun. <a href="http://www.skinakiska.com/" target="_blank" title="Nakiska">http://www.skinakiska.com/</a> Typically Nakiska opens on a man-made snow base with hard-packed cruising runs throughout the season. Fun, but it doesn’t compare to the feeling of floating down the mountain carving turns with bursts of powder spraying in your face.</p> <p>Over the years, I have had the good fortune to ski untracked slopes of deep, fresh snow. If you have ever skied fresh powder, you know what I’m talking about. Great snow comes from the perfect combination of moisture, temperature and wind. These factors and other intangibles produce light, fluffy snowflakes – the kind that skiers love to ski on. These snowflakes are very different in composition and performance characteristics than manmade snow. &#0160;</p> <p>Similarily, body composition and performance characteristics of healthy people are very different than that of unhealthy people. When we measure all the factors: body composition, blood chemistry, range of motion, movement patterns, performance characteristics correlated to age and gender and then look at the combination of other factors like: the interplay of genetics, nutrition, activity, rest, mental attitude, hormonal balance and nervous system function, the degree of health and wellness becomes apparent. &#0160;And then there are the other factors – the intangible ones that contribute to a full well-lived life like empowerment, coherence, a close network of family and friends, a sense of purpose, a sense of community….</p> <p>Obviously, the number of permutations and combinations of factors makes it impossible to have a specific one-size- fits-all health formula or like the weather to predict with complete accuracy who will get sick and who will not. There is an explosion of research and information which, while sometimes helpful, is often contradictory and confusing for anyone trying to <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/lifestyle-choices-for-positive-health.html" target="_blank" title="Lifestyle">make good lifestyle choices</a>. But if we ask the <strong>Salutogenesis</strong> question, “What can we do to be healthier?” we need to look at all factors – the tangible ones and the intangible ones.</p> <p>&#0160;<a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSCN0808" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e798b090970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0808" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Ford Davidson 2004</em></p> <p>The <strong>Salutogenesis</strong> question I have for you today is, “Are you empowered and making conscious and informed health-promoting choices?</p> <p>&#0160;<strong>Be empowered </strong>– here are some ideas to start</p> <ol> <li>Create a binder and collect the data from your lab tests – cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, BMI (check the excellent blog post Rob posted a few months ago: <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/know-your-numbers.html" target="_blank" title="Know Your Numbers">http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/know-your-numbers.html</a></li> <li>Track and analyze your diet <a href="http://www.myfooddiary.com/" target="_blank">http://www.myfooddiary.com/</a>);</li> <li>Get a baseline fitness test <a href="http://www.sportdevelopment.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sportdevelopment.com/</a></li> <li>Have your posture and spine checked by a chiropractor <a href="http://www.acac.com/" target="_blank">http://www.acac.com/</a> ;</li> <li>Have a wellness check up with your family physician;</li> <li>Volunteer in your community&#0160; &#0160;<a href="http://www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca/" target="_blank">www.<strong>volunteercalgary</strong>.ab.ca/</a><cite>;</cite></li> <li><cite></cite>Organize an activity with family or friends to ski, skate or hike</li> </ol> <p>I plan to share with you in future posts my insights from reviews of the research, caring for patients and what I have learned from the lifestyles of people with great health.</p> <p>Remember all that is important counts, but all that is important can’t be counted!</p> <p>Adding Life to Your Years ..... Dr. Les</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Les D" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c" height="174" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e7992105970c-800wi" title="Les D" width="209" /></a></p> <p>&#0160;</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0168e74090fe970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-02-13T06:05:17Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168e74054f7970cHappy Valentine’s Day - Top tips for a Healthy Hearthttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-02-13T06:05:17Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>It’s Valentine’s Day and I felt it was only appropriate to share my top 10 tips to for maintaining a healthy heart. There are many steps you can take to prevent heart disease and concentrating on key lifestyle areas such as eating, exercise, smoking and drinking, and considering other factors like diabetes and stress are all great places to start. Here are my 10 top tips for a Happy Valentine heart</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Heart Health" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b-800wi" title="Heart Health" /></a></p> <ol> <li><strong>Stop smoking</strong>. Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to live longer. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. But from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. With public smoking bans introduced just about everywhere, there has never been a better time to give up. </li> <li><strong>Cut down on salt</strong>. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Avoid foods like chips, salted nuts, canned and packet soups and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies, pizzas and processed meals from a package. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye on these too. </li> <li><strong>Watch your diet</strong>. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should try to have a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish and limit you consumption of starchy foods. Avoid foods like cookies, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in saturated fats and most importantly, all forms of sugar. </li> <li><strong>Monitor your alcohol</strong>. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one (for women) and two units a day for men. </li> <li><strong>Get active</strong>. The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently round your body with each heart beat. You should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day. If this seems too daunting, start off gently and build up gradually. Keeping fit not only benefits your physical health - it improves your mental health and wellbeing too. </li> <li><strong>Manage your weight</strong>. The number of people who are overweight in Canada and the United States is rising fast - already more than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of life-threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, start by making healthy changes to what you eat, and try to become more active. </li> <li><strong>Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your Doctor</strong>. The higher your blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. People with high blood pressure run a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol in the blood - produced by the liver from saturated fats - can lead to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help lower your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high-fiber foods such as porridge, beans, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. </li> <li><strong>Learn to manage your stress levels</strong>. If you find things are getting you down, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this will increase your risk of a heart attack. </li> <li><strong>Make sure you can recognize the early signs of coronary heart disease</strong>. Tightness or discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can lead to a heart attack if left untreated. </li> <li><strong>Know your Numbers</strong>. Monitor the top ten health indicators and take the necessary action if they trend negatively. Knowledge is Power, but it takes Action to flick the Switch. </li> </ol> <p>Happy Valentines and Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe d&#39;Huez 3 - relentless Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b" height="311" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b-800wi" title="Alpe d&#39;Huez 3 - relentless Web" width="196" /></a></p> <p>It’s Valentine’s Day and I felt it was only appropriate to share my top 10 tips to for maintaining a healthy heart. There are many steps you can take to prevent heart disease and concentrating on key lifestyle areas such as eating, exercise, smoking and drinking, and considering other factors like diabetes and stress are all great places to start. Here are my 10 top tips for a Happy Valentine heart</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Heart Health" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623ed7fa970b-800wi" title="Heart Health" /></a></p> <ol> <li><strong>Stop smoking</strong>. Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to live longer. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. But from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. With public smoking bans introduced just about everywhere, there has never been a better time to give up. </li> <li><strong>Cut down on salt</strong>. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Avoid foods like chips, salted nuts, canned and packet soups and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies, pizzas and processed meals from a package. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye on these too. </li> <li><strong>Watch your diet</strong>. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should try to have a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish and limit you consumption of starchy foods. Avoid foods like cookies, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in saturated fats and most importantly, all forms of sugar. </li> <li><strong>Monitor your alcohol</strong>. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one (for women) and two units a day for men. </li> <li><strong>Get active</strong>. The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently round your body with each heart beat. You should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day. If this seems too daunting, start off gently and build up gradually. Keeping fit not only benefits your physical health - it improves your mental health and wellbeing too. </li> <li><strong>Manage your weight</strong>. The number of people who are overweight in Canada and the United States is rising fast - already more than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of life-threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, start by making healthy changes to what you eat, and try to become more active. </li> <li><strong>Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your Doctor</strong>. The higher your blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. People with high blood pressure run a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol in the blood - produced by the liver from saturated fats - can lead to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help lower your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high-fiber foods such as porridge, beans, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. </li> <li><strong>Learn to manage your stress levels</strong>. If you find things are getting you down, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this will increase your risk of a heart attack. </li> <li><strong>Make sure you can recognize the early signs of coronary heart disease</strong>. Tightness or discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can lead to a heart attack if left untreated. </li> <li><strong>Know your Numbers</strong>. Monitor the top ten health indicators and take the necessary action if they trend negatively. Knowledge is Power, but it takes Action to flick the Switch. </li> </ol> <p>Happy Valentines and Enjoy the Ride.....Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alpe d&#39;Huez 3 - relentless Web" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b" height="311" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167623eeaee970b-800wi" title="Alpe d&#39;Huez 3 - relentless Web" width="196" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0167613d78a2970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-01-28T19:42:43Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0167613c963b970bAdding Life to your Yearshttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-01-28T19:42:43Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p style="text-align: left;">I&#39;m excited to introduce Dr Les&#39; first post on <strong>No Finish Line</strong>.&#0160; We discussed the complementary nature of our content and as I focus more on the technical aspects of health and fitness.&#0160; Dr Les is looking into the area of wellness to ensure you have the complete picture.&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Enjoy the Ride ..... Rob</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dr Les Blog 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b" height="189" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b-800wi" title="Dr Les Blog 1" width="246" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Adding Life to your Years </span>- </strong>by Dr Les</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Even though I work as a health-care professional, I have hesitated to blog because blogging might suggest I have all the answers. For the record, I don’t. However, much of my practice is dedicated to answering patient questions. When responding, I remember a quote from psychologist John Meachem, “Wisdom is an awareness of the fallibility of knowing and a striving for the balance between knowing and doubting.” It is living between knowing and doubting that motivates me to understand more about good health.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Heatth is a State" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c-800wi" title="Heatth is a State" width="331" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">At the beginning of a New Year (and with it the obligatory New Year’s Resolutions), my patients’ questions are focused on, “What is good health?” and “How can I get it?” Often they focus on the wrong questions like, “How can I lose this weight quickly?” &#0160;“It doesn’t hurt anymore, do I still need to do those exercises, get adjusted etc.”?</p> <p>Most of us recognize the importance of good health yet we struggle to be able to define it. A clear understanding of what you want to attain is critical to realizing any goal. We can more easily describe poor health.&#0160; If you&#39;ve ever asked someone with a chronic illness about their health issues, you know what I am talking about.&#0160; They can readily recite their list of medications, their next medical appointments and how their health challenges impact and limit their quality of life.&#0160; If you were to ask them to define good health, they would probably say that it would be the absence of their particular disease. And while I sympathize with people who have health issues – especially those with genetic or accident-related conditions, I suggest that good health is much more than the absence of disease.&#0160; Good health is the end result of good fortune coupled with habitually doing the “<em>right </em>things”.</p> <p>So what is good health? Do you focus on what you can do for your health or instead on what you can’t do because of your poor health?</p> <p>When the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization" target="_blank" title="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), was formed in 1948, <strong><em>health</em></strong> was defined as &quot;<strong>a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.&quot; </strong></p> <p>This definition resonates with me because it refers to the whole person - not just their physical health and not just their symptoms. The challenge is that good health is often an intangible and is a difficult concept to quantify. What does it mean to have complete physical, mental and social well-being? Over the next few blogs, I will challenge you to consider the value of your health, how you would quantify it and what are the daily commitments needed to optimize it.</p> <p>&#0160;Together we can explore what we know and what we speculate will help us achieve (or come close to achieving) a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being.</p> <p>I am a proponent of low-tech, low-cost strategies that can be easily &#0160;and effectively implemented within an individual’s lifestyle. &#0160;I will write more about those strategies in future blogs but let me start by emphasizing the importance of movement. It is my understanding that as a chiropractor I support the body’s health by removing interference from the nervous system and correcting joint dysfunction so that an individual can manifest the full expression of their health. These corrections or “adjustments” remove the barriers to movement that is so necessary to physical, mental and social well-being.</p> <p>Health is an expression of your life’s energy. It is like a pilot light that burns in each cell. It burns brighter with movement, oxygen, good fuel and is smothered by poor fuel, inactivity and interference of nerve supply.</p> <p>I agree with the saying that, “Nothing is more valuable than good health.” &#0160;Remember: &#0160;It can’t be bought or traded for!</p> <p>For those of you having trouble keeping your New Year’s commitments here is a link to a great resource, <em>How to Make and Keep New Year’s Resolutions: Three Simple Principles</em> - a downloadable (free) book <a href="http://proactivechange.com/zmore/ebooks/Resolutions.pdf" target="_blank" title="Keep your New Year&#39;s Resolution">http://proactivechange.com/zmore/ebooks/Resolutions.pdf</a></p> <p>For you keeners, next time we will be considering &#0160;a concept from the word salutogenesis. Here is the link: <a href="http://www.ewcol.net/salu-emp_en.html" target="_blank">http://www.ewcol.net/salu-emp_en.html</a></p> <p>Adding Life to your Years ….&#0160; Doctor Les</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d" height="280" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="206" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">I&#39;m excited to introduce Dr Les&#39; first post on <strong>No Finish Line</strong>.&#0160; We discussed the complementary nature of our content and as I focus more on the technical aspects of health and fitness.&#0160; Dr Les is looking into the area of wellness to ensure you have the complete picture.&#0160;</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Enjoy the Ride ..... Rob</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dr Les Blog 1" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b" height="189" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167613d5095970b-800wi" title="Dr Les Blog 1" width="246" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Adding Life to your Years </span>- </strong>by Dr Les</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Even though I work as a health-care professional, I have hesitated to blog because blogging might suggest I have all the answers. For the record, I don’t. However, much of my practice is dedicated to answering patient questions. When responding, I remember a quote from psychologist John Meachem, “Wisdom is an awareness of the fallibility of knowing and a striving for the balance between knowing and doubting.” It is living between knowing and doubting that motivates me to understand more about good health.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Heatth is a State" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c" height="204" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e63ec7a2970c-800wi" title="Heatth is a State" width="331" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">At the beginning of a New Year (and with it the obligatory New Year’s Resolutions), my patients’ questions are focused on, “What is good health?” and “How can I get it?” Often they focus on the wrong questions like, “How can I lose this weight quickly?” &#0160;“It doesn’t hurt anymore, do I still need to do those exercises, get adjusted etc.”?</p> <p>Most of us recognize the importance of good health yet we struggle to be able to define it. A clear understanding of what you want to attain is critical to realizing any goal. We can more easily describe poor health.&#0160; If you&#39;ve ever asked someone with a chronic illness about their health issues, you know what I am talking about.&#0160; They can readily recite their list of medications, their next medical appointments and how their health challenges impact and limit their quality of life.&#0160; If you were to ask them to define good health, they would probably say that it would be the absence of their particular disease. And while I sympathize with people who have health issues – especially those with genetic or accident-related conditions, I suggest that good health is much more than the absence of disease.&#0160; Good health is the end result of good fortune coupled with habitually doing the “<em>right </em>things”.</p> <p>So what is good health? Do you focus on what you can do for your health or instead on what you can’t do because of your poor health?</p> <p>When the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization" target="_blank" title="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), was formed in 1948, <strong><em>health</em></strong> was defined as &quot;<strong>a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.&quot; </strong></p> <p>This definition resonates with me because it refers to the whole person - not just their physical health and not just their symptoms. The challenge is that good health is often an intangible and is a difficult concept to quantify. What does it mean to have complete physical, mental and social well-being? Over the next few blogs, I will challenge you to consider the value of your health, how you would quantify it and what are the daily commitments needed to optimize it.</p> <p>&#0160;Together we can explore what we know and what we speculate will help us achieve (or come close to achieving) a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being.</p> <p>I am a proponent of low-tech, low-cost strategies that can be easily &#0160;and effectively implemented within an individual’s lifestyle. &#0160;I will write more about those strategies in future blogs but let me start by emphasizing the importance of movement. It is my understanding that as a chiropractor I support the body’s health by removing interference from the nervous system and correcting joint dysfunction so that an individual can manifest the full expression of their health. These corrections or “adjustments” remove the barriers to movement that is so necessary to physical, mental and social well-being.</p> <p>Health is an expression of your life’s energy. It is like a pilot light that burns in each cell. It burns brighter with movement, oxygen, good fuel and is smothered by poor fuel, inactivity and interference of nerve supply.</p> <p>I agree with the saying that, “Nothing is more valuable than good health.” &#0160;Remember: &#0160;It can’t be bought or traded for!</p> <p>For those of you having trouble keeping your New Year’s commitments here is a link to a great resource, <em>How to Make and Keep New Year’s Resolutions: Three Simple Principles</em> - a downloadable (free) book <a href="http://proactivechange.com/zmore/ebooks/Resolutions.pdf" target="_blank" title="Keep your New Year&#39;s Resolution">http://proactivechange.com/zmore/ebooks/Resolutions.pdf</a></p> <p>For you keeners, next time we will be considering &#0160;a concept from the word salutogenesis. Here is the link: <a href="http://www.ewcol.net/salu-emp_en.html" target="_blank">http://www.ewcol.net/salu-emp_en.html</a></p> <p>Adding Life to your Years ….&#0160; Doctor Les</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Summer 234" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d" height="280" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01630047b386970d-800wi" title="Summer 234" width="206" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0167612952a6970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-01-27T07:52:57Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0168e62a70fb970cThe Doctor's in the Househttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-01-27T07:52:57Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>Being a publisher of a blog that’s purpose is to, <em><strong>&quot;increase the quality of life through health, fitness, while living life with purpose&quot;</strong></em> is extremely rewarding, especially when someone tells me my advice or the information I share has made a difference in their life.&#0160; I’m always seeking information or a current event to share with you and it may come from a wide variety of sources.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Well today, it’s my pleasure to introduce my friend of 20+ years, <strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr. Les Davidson">Dr. Les Davidson </a></strong>as a contributing writer to <strong><em>No Finish Line</em></strong>.&#0160; Les is a good friend, fellow athlete, respected health care professional and long time Chiropractor that shares many of the same views about health and wellness.&#0160; Specifically, we both believe that the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Healthcare">current healthcare model </a>that focuses on illness treatment, instead of preventative care is fundamentally flawed.&#0160; We agree their are significant <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/is-our-food-supply-the-first-step-towards-degenerative-disease.html" target="_blank" title="Food Supply">issues with our food supply</a>.&#0160; We both align that people should be armed with information allowing them to make wise dietary choices that will reduce the probability of contracting one of the many degenerative diseases that are associated with our North American lifestyle.&#0160; And&#0160;we’re both passionate about the health benefits associate with <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise">daily exercise </a>thereby <em><strong>&quot;Adding Life to Your Years&quot;.</strong></em></p> <p>Dr Les has been exposed to health issues through his decades of daily practice at his clinic, <em><strong><a href="http://www.adjustedforlife.ca/" target="_blank" title="Adjusted for Life">&quot;Adjusted For Life - Chiropractic Health Clinic&quot;</a></strong></em> and I’m delighted that he is willing to share his insights that are sure to enlighten and motivate us all.&#0160;</p> <p>Look for Dr Les’ blog posts coming soon to No Finish Line.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride … Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dr Les Intro" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b" height="272" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b-800wi" title="Dr Les Intro" width="265" /></a></p> <p>Being a publisher of a blog that’s purpose is to, <em><strong>&quot;increase the quality of life through health, fitness, while living life with purpose&quot;</strong></em> is extremely rewarding, especially when someone tells me my advice or the information I share has made a difference in their life.&#0160; I’m always seeking information or a current event to share with you and it may come from a wide variety of sources.&#0160; &#0160;</p> <p>Well today, it’s my pleasure to introduce my friend of 20+ years, <strong><a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/doctor-les.html" target="_blank" title="Dr. Les Davidson">Dr. Les Davidson </a></strong>as a contributing writer to <strong><em>No Finish Line</em></strong>.&#0160; Les is a good friend, fellow athlete, respected health care professional and long time Chiropractor that shares many of the same views about health and wellness.&#0160; Specifically, we both believe that the <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/a-brief-history-of-healthcare-how-did-we-get-it-so-wrong-where-to-we-go-from-here.html" target="_blank" title="Healthcare">current healthcare model </a>that focuses on illness treatment, instead of preventative care is fundamentally flawed.&#0160; We agree their are significant <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/is-our-food-supply-the-first-step-towards-degenerative-disease.html" target="_blank" title="Food Supply">issues with our food supply</a>.&#0160; We both align that people should be armed with information allowing them to make wise dietary choices that will reduce the probability of contracting one of the many degenerative diseases that are associated with our North American lifestyle.&#0160; And&#0160;we’re both passionate about the health benefits associate with <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/06/exercise-will-increase-the-quality-of-your-health-just-do-it.html" target="_blank" title="Exercise">daily exercise </a>thereby <em><strong>&quot;Adding Life to Your Years&quot;.</strong></em></p> <p>Dr Les has been exposed to health issues through his decades of daily practice at his clinic, <em><strong><a href="http://www.adjustedforlife.ca/" target="_blank" title="Adjusted for Life">&quot;Adjusted For Life - Chiropractic Health Clinic&quot;</a></strong></em> and I’m delighted that he is willing to share his insights that are sure to enlighten and motivate us all.&#0160;</p> <p>Look for Dr Les’ blog posts coming soon to No Finish Line.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride … Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dr Les Intro" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b" height="272" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0167612906d8970b-800wi" title="Dr Les Intro" width="265" /></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016761164d29970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-01-26T01:54:01Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b01676115fc1d970bOur Work Style maybe KILLING ushttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-01-26T01:54:00Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>You’ll want to stand up when you read this......</p> <p>I came across this article in the <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/is-your-office-chair-killing-you/article2258518/page2/" target="_blank" title="Globe and Mail">Globe and Mail </a>a little over a month ago that has been on my mind ever since, mainly because it’s describing me the way I work.&#0160; I thought I did everything possible to prevent myself from visiting our Healthcare system with some kind of degenerative disease.&#0160; I eat a very healthy diet, with the odd exception now and then and being a cycling fanatic, I have no problem getting enough exercise.&#0160; In fact, some might say <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/03/can-to-much-of-a-good-thing-be-too-much.html" target="_blank" title="No Finish Line">I exercise too much.</a>&#0160; I don’t know why I haven’t considered this as a health issue before, but my work style should be taken into consideration, given how many hours a day I put in behind the desk of my home office.</p> <p>Like so many of us office workers who sit on our butts most of the day and hardly move as we plough through the endless emails, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and conference calls. One has to ask is this type of work style is conducive to a healthy outcome?&#0160; The article below, which I copied below for you, presents some early conclusions regarding people like me that work in jobs that require sitting behind a desk for the bulk of the day. &#0160;The early results are worth careful consideration.&#0160; Sitting for hours at end can increase our chances of developing several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type II diabetes.&#0160; And that’s just the beginning, as I’m sure more research in this area will uncover even more facts worth careful consideration. &#0160;</p> <p>Since reading this article, I’ve made a couple adjustments to how I approach my work day, given the majority of my work is at a desk in front of a lap top computer.&#0160; Given that I work at home and may have a little more space and flexibility than those of you that work in an office, you may have to come up with your own plan.&#0160;</p> <p>Here are the two things I’ve started doing since reading these studies:</p> <ul> <li>I purchased a Bluetooth wireless earpiece for my cell phone so I can walk freely around my house when I’m on a conference call.&#0160; If I don’t have to be in front of my laptop, I walk, and if I need my laptop, I stand whenever I’m on the phone.&#0160; This is great, because many calls last for at least an hour.&#0160; </li> <li>At the top and bottom of every hour, I walk up and down my stairs a few times, just to raise my heart rate and get the blood flowing throughout my body.&#0160; Not only does this address the concerns raised in the findings below, I find the movement increases my energy level and alertness.</li> </ul> <p>How we live our lives is always changing and we should be mindful of health consequence brought on by these changes. I know some people will read this post and say, “<em>Enough is enough; will the list of things that are bad for us ever end?</em>”&#0160; But the good thing about new research is we uncover important information that may make a difference in the quality of our lives.&#0160; If getting off my butt a couple times an hour will make a positive difference to my long term health; well the decision is pretty simple.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.... Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="No Bikes" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c" height="212" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c-800wi" title="No Bikes" width="287" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>Is Your Office Chair Killing You?</strong></span></p> <h4><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Dave Mcginn, Dec. 05, 2011</span></h4> <p>You’re going to want to stand up for this. Researchers of sedentary behaviour, a burgeoning field with Canadians at its forefront, are beginning to amass a large body of evidence with one unsettling conclusion: Sitting down is killing us.</p> <p>For decades, hundreds if not thousands of studies have examined the relationship between our activity levels and our health. Only recently have researchers turned their attention to the consequences of sitting at a desk all day and lying on the couch all evening.</p> <p>&#0160;“We’re talking extensively and producing public health messages about what we don’t do. And we don’t talk at all about what we do do: We don’t move very much, but we do sit idle,” says Dr. Mark Tremblay, director of healthy active living and obesity research at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.</p> <p>The average person now spends 9.3 hours a day sitting. People who sit for six or more hours per day are 40 per cent more likely to die within 15 years compared to someone who sits less than three hours a day, even if they exercise. Obese people sit 2½ hours more each day than people of normal weight, according to data compiled by Medical Billing and Coding, a U.S.-based organization.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bad posture sitting" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c" height="271" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bad posture sitting" width="355" /></a></p> <p>As recently as 2006, there wasn’t much data about this – that’s when a group of Canadian scientists published a commentary calling for research on sedentary behaviour in the <em>Canadian Journal of Public Health</em>. “Research into sedentary behaviour is at an early stage,” they wrote. “We actually know very little about the nature of sedentary behaviour, its dimensions, determinants and relationships to important health outcomes.”</p> <p>This year marked a huge turning point in the field. Research may still be at an early stage, but scientific interest has reached unprecedented levels. In February, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology launched its sedentary behaviour guidelines for children and youth, the first systematic evidence-based sedentary behaviour guidelines in the world. The August issue of the <em>American Journal of Preventive Medicine</em> was dedicated to the theme of sedentary behaviour. The <em>Journal of Applied Physiology</em>, followed suit in October, with a theme issue of its own, highlighting the physiology of sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity. And in September, Dr. Tremblay and his team launched the Sedentary Behaviour Research Network, a first of its kind that has so far connected more than 100 researchers from around the world.</p> <p>“We realized that there’s this big growing field of research, but we aren’t actually linked by one organization,” says Travis Saunders, one of Dr. Tremblay’s colleagues who helped establish the network. “So many labs are getting into this area that it’s hard to keep track of who’s doing what.”</p> <p>Studies of sedentary behaviour suggest that sitting for extended periods of time increase a person’s chances of developing a wide range of illnesses and diseases, including several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type II diabetes.</p> <p>“It’s definitely an emerging area,” especially in cancer research, says Dr. Christine Friedenreich, senior epidemiologist at Alberta Health Services.</p> <p>“There have only been 10 studies that have been published on sedentary behaviour and cancer risk, and most of them have only been published in the last one to two years,” she says. Meanwhile there have been more than 200 studies examining the link between physical activity and cancer, most of them published over the last two decades.</p> <p>In a recently published study, Dr. Friedenreich found that high levels of physical activity reduced the risk of breast and colon cancers by up to 30 per cent, reduced the risk of prostate cancer about 10 to 20 per cent, and reduced the risk of endometrial cancer between 30 and 35 per cent.</p> <p>The most arguably disquieting results of her study? People who jog for half an hour in the morning and then sit at a desk all day may be no better off than those who don’t go running, even if they are technically meeting the requirements of Canada’s physical activity guidelines, which recommend adults be active for at least 2½ hours a week.</p> <p>“The big public health message is that people have been thinking they reduce their risk of cancer by doing something like 30 minutes a day of some sort of moderate to vigorous exercise, but that’s not in itself necessarily going to be sufficient,” Dr. Friedenreich says. “We haven’t quite done the research yet to figure out exactly how much you do need to break up your time.”</p> <p>Such a study is currently being conducted by Australian researchers, one of many studies of sedentary behaviour needed to determine just how dangerous inactivity is to our health. For instance, while Canada was the first country in the world to launch sedentary behaviour guidelines for children, no such guidelines exist for adults, Dr. Tremblay says.</p> <p>“Over the next 25 years you’ll see a ballooning of this type of research,” he says.</p> <p>Whatever that research might discover, there is already enough evidence to draw a clear conclusion, says Frank Booth, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri. “It’s a lifestyle factor that’s like a bomb on health.”</p> <p>You’ll want to stand up when you read this......</p> <p>I came across this article in the <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/is-your-office-chair-killing-you/article2258518/page2/" target="_blank" title="Globe and Mail">Globe and Mail </a>a little over a month ago that has been on my mind ever since, mainly because it’s describing me the way I work.&#0160; I thought I did everything possible to prevent myself from visiting our Healthcare system with some kind of degenerative disease.&#0160; I eat a very healthy diet, with the odd exception now and then and being a cycling fanatic, I have no problem getting enough exercise.&#0160; In fact, some might say <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/03/can-to-much-of-a-good-thing-be-too-much.html" target="_blank" title="No Finish Line">I exercise too much.</a>&#0160; I don’t know why I haven’t considered this as a health issue before, but my work style should be taken into consideration, given how many hours a day I put in behind the desk of my home office.</p> <p>Like so many of us office workers who sit on our butts most of the day and hardly move as we plough through the endless emails, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and conference calls. One has to ask is this type of work style is conducive to a healthy outcome?&#0160; The article below, which I copied below for you, presents some early conclusions regarding people like me that work in jobs that require sitting behind a desk for the bulk of the day. &#0160;The early results are worth careful consideration.&#0160; Sitting for hours at end can increase our chances of developing several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type II diabetes.&#0160; And that’s just the beginning, as I’m sure more research in this area will uncover even more facts worth careful consideration. &#0160;</p> <p>Since reading this article, I’ve made a couple adjustments to how I approach my work day, given the majority of my work is at a desk in front of a lap top computer.&#0160; Given that I work at home and may have a little more space and flexibility than those of you that work in an office, you may have to come up with your own plan.&#0160;</p> <p>Here are the two things I’ve started doing since reading these studies:</p> <ul> <li>I purchased a Bluetooth wireless earpiece for my cell phone so I can walk freely around my house when I’m on a conference call.&#0160; If I don’t have to be in front of my laptop, I walk, and if I need my laptop, I stand whenever I’m on the phone.&#0160; This is great, because many calls last for at least an hour.&#0160; </li> <li>At the top and bottom of every hour, I walk up and down my stairs a few times, just to raise my heart rate and get the blood flowing throughout my body.&#0160; Not only does this address the concerns raised in the findings below, I find the movement increases my energy level and alertness.</li> </ul> <p>How we live our lives is always changing and we should be mindful of health consequence brought on by these changes. I know some people will read this post and say, “<em>Enough is enough; will the list of things that are bad for us ever end?</em>”&#0160; But the good thing about new research is we uncover important information that may make a difference in the quality of our lives.&#0160; If getting off my butt a couple times an hour will make a positive difference to my long term health; well the decision is pretty simple.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride.... Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="No Bikes" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c" height="212" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6176890970c-800wi" title="No Bikes" width="287" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><strong>Is Your Office Chair Killing You?</strong></span></p> <h4><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Dave Mcginn, Dec. 05, 2011</span></h4> <p>You’re going to want to stand up for this. Researchers of sedentary behaviour, a burgeoning field with Canadians at its forefront, are beginning to amass a large body of evidence with one unsettling conclusion: Sitting down is killing us.</p> <p>For decades, hundreds if not thousands of studies have examined the relationship between our activity levels and our health. Only recently have researchers turned their attention to the consequences of sitting at a desk all day and lying on the couch all evening.</p> <p>&#0160;“We’re talking extensively and producing public health messages about what we don’t do. And we don’t talk at all about what we do do: We don’t move very much, but we do sit idle,” says Dr. Mark Tremblay, director of healthy active living and obesity research at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.</p> <p>The average person now spends 9.3 hours a day sitting. People who sit for six or more hours per day are 40 per cent more likely to die within 15 years compared to someone who sits less than three hours a day, even if they exercise. Obese people sit 2½ hours more each day than people of normal weight, according to data compiled by Medical Billing and Coding, a U.S.-based organization.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bad posture sitting" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c" height="271" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e6178d00970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Bad posture sitting" width="355" /></a></p> <p>As recently as 2006, there wasn’t much data about this – that’s when a group of Canadian scientists published a commentary calling for research on sedentary behaviour in the <em>Canadian Journal of Public Health</em>. “Research into sedentary behaviour is at an early stage,” they wrote. “We actually know very little about the nature of sedentary behaviour, its dimensions, determinants and relationships to important health outcomes.”</p> <p>This year marked a huge turning point in the field. Research may still be at an early stage, but scientific interest has reached unprecedented levels. In February, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology launched its sedentary behaviour guidelines for children and youth, the first systematic evidence-based sedentary behaviour guidelines in the world. The August issue of the <em>American Journal of Preventive Medicine</em> was dedicated to the theme of sedentary behaviour. The <em>Journal of Applied Physiology</em>, followed suit in October, with a theme issue of its own, highlighting the physiology of sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity. And in September, Dr. Tremblay and his team launched the Sedentary Behaviour Research Network, a first of its kind that has so far connected more than 100 researchers from around the world.</p> <p>“We realized that there’s this big growing field of research, but we aren’t actually linked by one organization,” says Travis Saunders, one of Dr. Tremblay’s colleagues who helped establish the network. “So many labs are getting into this area that it’s hard to keep track of who’s doing what.”</p> <p>Studies of sedentary behaviour suggest that sitting for extended periods of time increase a person’s chances of developing a wide range of illnesses and diseases, including several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and Type II diabetes.</p> <p>“It’s definitely an emerging area,” especially in cancer research, says Dr. Christine Friedenreich, senior epidemiologist at Alberta Health Services.</p> <p>“There have only been 10 studies that have been published on sedentary behaviour and cancer risk, and most of them have only been published in the last one to two years,” she says. Meanwhile there have been more than 200 studies examining the link between physical activity and cancer, most of them published over the last two decades.</p> <p>In a recently published study, Dr. Friedenreich found that high levels of physical activity reduced the risk of breast and colon cancers by up to 30 per cent, reduced the risk of prostate cancer about 10 to 20 per cent, and reduced the risk of endometrial cancer between 30 and 35 per cent.</p> <p>The most arguably disquieting results of her study? People who jog for half an hour in the morning and then sit at a desk all day may be no better off than those who don’t go running, even if they are technically meeting the requirements of Canada’s physical activity guidelines, which recommend adults be active for at least 2½ hours a week.</p> <p>“The big public health message is that people have been thinking they reduce their risk of cancer by doing something like 30 minutes a day of some sort of moderate to vigorous exercise, but that’s not in itself necessarily going to be sufficient,” Dr. Friedenreich says. “We haven’t quite done the research yet to figure out exactly how much you do need to break up your time.”</p> <p>Such a study is currently being conducted by Australian researchers, one of many studies of sedentary behaviour needed to determine just how dangerous inactivity is to our health. For instance, while Canada was the first country in the world to launch sedentary behaviour guidelines for children, no such guidelines exist for adults, Dr. Tremblay says.</p> <p>“Over the next 25 years you’ll see a ballooning of this type of research,” he says.</p> <p>Whatever that research might discover, there is already enough evidence to draw a clear conclusion, says Frank Booth, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri. “It’s a lifestyle factor that’s like a bomb on health.”</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b0162fff2253d970d Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-01-22T00:21:40Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0162fff132a9970dPaula Deen – Deceit and the Quick Fixhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-01-22T00:21:39Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>I’ve commented frequently about the unhealthy state of the average North American’s diet and how it’s accepted, and in some cases sensationalized through programs like <a href=" http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/man-vs-food-how-not-to-eat.html" target="_blank" title="Man vs Food">Man vs. Food</a>.&#0160; This past week, <a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/" target="_blank" title="Paula Deen">Paula Deen </a>came out of the closest, so to speak. One look at her and it really shouldn’t be a big surprise what came walking out of the closet. &#0160;The cookbook author and television personality, known for her high-fat and fried foods, has been a closet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Diabetes">Type 2 Diabetic </a>for three years.&#0160; Keeping an illness like Diabetes private (especially Type 2 Diabetes, which is generally self inflected) is obliviously a personal choice that should be respected, but to continue to promote her unhealthy recipes to her loyal fans for three years when these very recipes are the source of her disease is unconscionable.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Paula Deen" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b-800wi" title="Paula Deen" /></a></p> <p>This kind of deceit is&#0160;already low enough, but let&#39;s be clear, Ms. Deen is not coming out to inform her fans&#0160;that&#0160;all those years of eating her unhealthy recipes will increase their chances of becoming a Type 2 Diabetic like her.&#0160; No, she&#39;s come out of her closet for finaincial gains, as she is to become the official spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures her Type 2 Diabetes medication, Victoza.&#0160; So now in addition to promoting her unhealthy eating habits, it&#39;s Deen&#39;s&#0160;new&#0160;role to help us see &quot;Diabetes in a new light,&quot; according to the company&#39;s website. Their sales slogan is: &quot;<em><strong>Live a life that&#39;s delicious</strong></em>.&quot;&#0160;&#0160;With a slogan like that, it almost makes you wish that you had Type 2 Diabetes like her.</p> <p>As their new spokesperson with a loyal following of viewers; no doubt many of them will also have Diabetes.&#0160; &#0160;I can already see them lining up to ask their doctors if the $500-a-month Victoza drug that Ms. Deen is promoting to manage her Diabetes is right for them.&#0160; Besides, isn&#39;t this why companies employ celebrities.</p> <p>So let’s look at the “<em><strong>Delicious</strong></em>” hard facts of what Deen and her new employer are spinning.&#0160; Instead of promoting a healthy diet and regular exercise, which will prevent this disease, they’re suggesting that you continue with your reckless lifestyle, which consists of life-threatening complications like, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disorder, amputations, dental problems, pregnancy complications, and the catchall other complications categories include coma, greater risk of death from pneumonia, trouble with physical activity, and no surprise&#0160;depression, because Novo Nordisk has a drug fix that will mask the symptoms.</p> <p>More than 28 million North Americans, have diabetes today, and at the current growth rate, 1 in 3 of us will have it by 2050, and 90 percent of these cases are Type 2 diabetes, which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity" target="_blank" title="Obesity">obesity</a> is the # 1 risk factor. &#0160;Although recent obesity numbers may have flattened for the first time in 30 years, the poorer and minority groups are getting larger and&#0160;are also the demographic that have less access to healthcare to manage their illness and won&#39;t be able to afford&#0160;Deen&#39;s $6,000 a year drug fix.<br /><br />I’m thinking many people that read this blog will like Ms. Deen’s spin of, <em>I’ll eat whatever I want and take a pill to manage the negative consequences of my reckless behavior</em>, over my message of <em>healthy diet and regular exercise</em>.&#0160; &#0160;I know a number of people that suffer from Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and while a diabetic&#39;s life is manageable, it&#39;s anything but&#0160;“<em><strong>delicious</strong></em>” .<br /><br />The life of a diabetic is something less than what is being marketed by Deen and Novo Nordisk.&#0160; That said, they’re no different to other drug companies that promise to medicate away the symptoms associated with depression, gas, incontinence, clogged arteries, fibromyalgia and dozens of other preventable health conditions that result from our North American lifestyle.&#0160;</p> <p>Paula Deen is actually an insignificant player in the bigger promotion and marketing of drug products made by multi-national pharmaceutical companies that believe in treatment over prevention (there’s no money in prevention).&#0160; Unfortunately, what Deen <span style="text-decoration: underline;">does </span>represent is North America’s continued and growing love and acceptance with behaving recklessly just&#0160;because there‘s a potential pharmaceutical fix that&#39;s just around the corner.&#0160; The only thing that’s healthy about&#0160;this story is Paula Deen and Novo Nordisks’ income statements.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alp d&#39;Huez - Paula Deen" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c" height="375" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c-800wi" title="Alp d&#39;Huez - Paula Deen" width="268" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e6268e970b-pi"></a></p> <p>I’ve commented frequently about the unhealthy state of the average North American’s diet and how it’s accepted, and in some cases sensationalized through programs like <a href=" http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/10/man-vs-food-how-not-to-eat.html" target="_blank" title="Man vs Food">Man vs. Food</a>.&#0160; This past week, <a href="http://www.pauladeen.com/" target="_blank" title="Paula Deen">Paula Deen </a>came out of the closest, so to speak. One look at her and it really shouldn’t be a big surprise what came walking out of the closet. &#0160;The cookbook author and television personality, known for her high-fat and fried foods, has been a closet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Diabetes">Type 2 Diabetic </a>for three years.&#0160; Keeping an illness like Diabetes private (especially Type 2 Diabetes, which is generally self inflected) is obliviously a personal choice that should be respected, but to continue to promote her unhealthy recipes to her loyal fans for three years when these very recipes are the source of her disease is unconscionable.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Paula Deen" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e67e22970b-800wi" title="Paula Deen" /></a></p> <p>This kind of deceit is&#0160;already low enough, but let&#39;s be clear, Ms. Deen is not coming out to inform her fans&#0160;that&#0160;all those years of eating her unhealthy recipes will increase their chances of becoming a Type 2 Diabetic like her.&#0160; No, she&#39;s come out of her closet for finaincial gains, as she is to become the official spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures her Type 2 Diabetes medication, Victoza.&#0160; So now in addition to promoting her unhealthy eating habits, it&#39;s Deen&#39;s&#0160;new&#0160;role to help us see &quot;Diabetes in a new light,&quot; according to the company&#39;s website. Their sales slogan is: &quot;<em><strong>Live a life that&#39;s delicious</strong></em>.&quot;&#0160;&#0160;With a slogan like that, it almost makes you wish that you had Type 2 Diabetes like her.</p> <p>As their new spokesperson with a loyal following of viewers; no doubt many of them will also have Diabetes.&#0160; &#0160;I can already see them lining up to ask their doctors if the $500-a-month Victoza drug that Ms. Deen is promoting to manage her Diabetes is right for them.&#0160; Besides, isn&#39;t this why companies employ celebrities.</p> <p>So let’s look at the “<em><strong>Delicious</strong></em>” hard facts of what Deen and her new employer are spinning.&#0160; Instead of promoting a healthy diet and regular exercise, which will prevent this disease, they’re suggesting that you continue with your reckless lifestyle, which consists of life-threatening complications like, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disorder, amputations, dental problems, pregnancy complications, and the catchall other complications categories include coma, greater risk of death from pneumonia, trouble with physical activity, and no surprise&#0160;depression, because Novo Nordisk has a drug fix that will mask the symptoms.</p> <p>More than 28 million North Americans, have diabetes today, and at the current growth rate, 1 in 3 of us will have it by 2050, and 90 percent of these cases are Type 2 diabetes, which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity" target="_blank" title="Obesity">obesity</a> is the # 1 risk factor. &#0160;Although recent obesity numbers may have flattened for the first time in 30 years, the poorer and minority groups are getting larger and&#0160;are also the demographic that have less access to healthcare to manage their illness and won&#39;t be able to afford&#0160;Deen&#39;s $6,000 a year drug fix.<br /><br />I’m thinking many people that read this blog will like Ms. Deen’s spin of, <em>I’ll eat whatever I want and take a pill to manage the negative consequences of my reckless behavior</em>, over my message of <em>healthy diet and regular exercise</em>.&#0160; &#0160;I know a number of people that suffer from Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and while a diabetic&#39;s life is manageable, it&#39;s anything but&#0160;“<em><strong>delicious</strong></em>” .<br /><br />The life of a diabetic is something less than what is being marketed by Deen and Novo Nordisk.&#0160; That said, they’re no different to other drug companies that promise to medicate away the symptoms associated with depression, gas, incontinence, clogged arteries, fibromyalgia and dozens of other preventable health conditions that result from our North American lifestyle.&#0160;</p> <p>Paula Deen is actually an insignificant player in the bigger promotion and marketing of drug products made by multi-national pharmaceutical companies that believe in treatment over prevention (there’s no money in prevention).&#0160; Unfortunately, what Deen <span style="text-decoration: underline;">does </span>represent is North America’s continued and growing love and acceptance with behaving recklessly just&#0160;because there‘s a potential pharmaceutical fix that&#39;s just around the corner.&#0160; The only thing that’s healthy about&#0160;this story is Paula Deen and Novo Nordisks’ income statements.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride …. Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Alp d&#39;Huez - Paula Deen" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c" height="375" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e5e78d35970c-800wi" title="Alp d&#39;Huez - Paula Deen" width="268" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760e6268e970b-pi"></a></p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b016760257116970b Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2012-01-07T22:14:14Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0162ff2fb648970dIs Losing Weight a Losing Battle?http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2012-01-07T22:14:13Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>As I was relaxing with my morning paper today I came across this article on the second page of the Globe and Mail that I thought was intriguing, especially at this time of year (I have copied it below in its entirety for your convenience).&#0160; As I read it, I thought about my brief time on this planet and how a person’s weight has always been a topic of discussion for as long as I can remember.&#0160; Most recently and the focus of my attention has been how weight directly affects the quality of a person’s life, both physically and mentally.&#0160; I dedicate many words in this blog to the physical implications of a healthy weight, but not so much to the mental stress overweight carries.&#0160; No matter what Oprah says, and this is only my personal observation and opinion, people that are overweight or obese are generally not as happy with their life as people who are “healthy” thin (you can be un-healthy thin too).&#0160;</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Weigh Scale" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Weigh Scale" /></a><br />I can remember as a kid, my mother asking if she looked good and she was never overweight a day in her life.&#0160; Most of the women that are close enough in my life to even discuss the subject have at some time been focused on their weight, and given the crowd of guys I’ve hung out with over the years; (cyclists, triathletes, runners, etc), well&#0160;they&#39;re also particularly interested in the topic.&#0160; In fact, I joked that hard core cyclists are more concerned about their weight than international super models.&#0160;</p> <p>This is actually a complex topic.&#0160; Just look at all the books, web sites, news articles, magazines, &#0160;blogs, etc. that are dedicated entirely to the subject.&#0160; &#0160;With all the opinions floating around to explain the complexities of a person’s weight, it really just comes down to two issues, 1) health and how your weight affects it, and 2) vanity, how you and others perceive your size.&#0160; The article below and I would have to say, most attention on the topic deals with the latter.&#0160; And even many health advocates are simply hiding behind the &quot;be healthy&quot;trend and are really promoting vanity packaged up with&#0160;the health wrapper.</p> <p>Now is the time of year when every second commercial is from some diet company that feeds off the insecurities of an individual’s self image.&#0160; Now that more than 65% of North Americans are either overweight or obese, the market share for these vampires has grown significantly (pardon the pun).&#0160; The fact that there is so much attention in the media, internet, etc. focused on this one topic, even if you don’t have a weight issue, like my mother, you still think you do.&#0160; Given the majority of people in North America <strong>DO</strong> have an unhealthy weight and have issues with their appearance; the industry of “Diet” is preparing to receive revenues of unprecedented proportions to “Fix the Problem”.&#0160; To further fuel the fire, I even heard on talk radio the other day a scientist say that being overweight should be considered a “disease” and treated as such.&#0160; This is as low as it can get, as this person is using science to justify their next financial grant to perform more “junk science” on a issue where the cause and effect are well know.&#0160;</p> <p>So the question I have, given the content of the article below, are the people that put out the best seller diet books and expensive diet programs simply setting themselves up for an attractive income statement, or do they really care about the health of the people that purchase their products and diet systems?&#0160; My personal opinion is to follow the money and you’ll find your answer.&#0160; The answer is simple and inexpensive, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly and your weight will take care of itself.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Diet Cycle" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Diet Cycle" /></a><br />However, if you do engage in one of the many diet programs, pick one that has an end point of eating a well balanced food plan with lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, a healthy amount of high quality protein, healthy fats and limit the sugar and starchy carbohydrates.&#0160; And do it with a bigger purpose than just fitting into a smaller size. Vanity will only get you so far.&#0160; Don’t become another statistic of the majority of people that lose a load of weight, only to gain it all back again when they lose their short-term motivation.&#0160; Do it because you want to increase the quality of your life 20 years from now.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bédoin-20110814-00382" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b" height="229" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b-800wi" title="Bédoin-20110814-00382" width="211" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>It’s time to shed the tyranny of dieting – losing weight is a losing battle </strong></span></p> <p><strong>Globe and Mail Update &#0160;&#0160;&#0160;Jan. 07, 2012 </strong></p> <p><strong>Elizabeth Renzetti</strong></p> <p>One of the commercials in a new campaign to counter childhood obesity in Georgia shows a boy sitting on a folding chair, who says quietly, “Mom, why am I fat?” I was hoping his mom, sitting across from him, might say, “Well, son, let’s talk about how <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/pizza-is-now-a-vegetableno-really.html" target="_blank" title="Pizza is a Vegetable">Congress thinks that the tomato sauce on pizza qualifies as a vegetable in school meals </a>…” but she didn’t. She bowed her head in silent shame.</p> <p>The contentious campaign, called Strong4Life, features a parade of sad-faced, overweight children wondering how they ended up this way. The ads are directed at the kids, and not at the advertisers who push ChoccyMallow Breakfast Surprise, or the restaurant chains that hand them a plate the size of an elephant’s foot and invite them to pile it high for less than the cost of a cauliflower.</p> <p>My favourite ad – and I say “favourite” in the same way that I have a favourite <em>Friday the 13th</em> movie – is the one featuring a grim girl, her arms folded above the slogan: “It’s Hard to Be a Little Girl if You’re Not.” Why not go all the way, I thought, and borrow the slogan that the manufacturers of RyKrisp used to prey on women’s insecurities in the 1950s: “Nobody Loves a Fat Girl!”</p> <p>The fat girl volcano is this way, ladies, if you’d like to follow me, and toss yourselves in. The line is long, and stretches through the centuries. I know this thanks to a new book, Louise Foxcroft’s <em>Calories &amp; Corsets: a History of Dieting over 2,000 Years</em>, which reveals that our obsession with slimness, and our demonization of fat, has an impressive history. There is no better time to read it than in this month of wretched self-loathing.</p> <p>As long as people have looked down at their muffin tops (or their suet crusts) and winced, slimming gurus have lined up to profit from the shame. The first diet bestseller was published in the 15th century, writes Ms. Foxcroft, a British historian of medicine. Three centuries later, the noted gourmet Brillat-Savarin was an early proponent of the low-carb diet, a bit like a Reign of Terror Dr. Atkins. Lose weight, he advised, or “become ugly, and thick, and asthmatic, and finally die in your own melted grease: I shall be there to watch it.” I doubt Weight Watchers will be adopting that slogan any time soon.</p> <p>Dieting, over the years, has been sold as a moral imperative, a patriotic duty, a Christian obligation. In the mid-20th century you could turn to <em>Pray Your Weight Away</em> or <em>Devotions for Dieters</em>, which included this desperate plea to the Almighty to save a sinner from pie: “I promise not to sit and stuff/But stop when I have had enough. Amen.” It wasn’t just that you hated your chunky thighs; God was repulsed, too.</p> <p>Ms. Foxcroft is very canny about the way health concerns are used to disguise what is essentially an aesthetic distaste for chubbiness. Fat has long been seen as a moral and intellectual failing: “The stupid, heavy, non-intellectual person, or the idiot, is generally fat and flabby,” wrote one 19th-century English doctor.</p> <p>Not much has changed, even if we now put pillows around our language to guard against offence. “No one wants to be fat,” Tara Parker-Pope wrote recently in a fascinating and much-discussed article in The New York Times Magazine. “In most modern cultures, to be fat … is to be perceived as weak-willed and lazy.”</p> <p>At the centre of her piece, The Fat Trap, is a paradox: Dieters, including Ms. Parker-Pope, actually work incredibly hard at losing weight. I doubt the physicists at CERN pay as much attention to numbers as the successful dieters she interviews, who weigh every gram of food that goes into their mouths and calculate every calorie burned on their bikes. But maintaining your new slim figure, as science shows, is very difficult and most people regain their spare tires, unless they’re willing to devote every waking moment to banishing thoughts of doughnuts. Losing weight, which is supposed to liberate, instead becomes a prison.</p> <p>In America alone, the diet industry is worth $40-billion, slightly more than the GDP of Costa Rica. Every person who fails at a diet and embarks on another fattens the pocket of whoever is selling some chimerical notion of beauty. To what end, you have to wonder. For centuries, people in the West have been trying to lose weight – not for reasons of health, but for reasons of status – and it’s a losing battle. Maybe it’s time to refashion the RyKrisp slogan, and spell it out in chocolate chips: “Nobody loves a fat girl … except herself.”</p> <p>As I was relaxing with my morning paper today I came across this article on the second page of the Globe and Mail that I thought was intriguing, especially at this time of year (I have copied it below in its entirety for your convenience).&#0160; As I read it, I thought about my brief time on this planet and how a person’s weight has always been a topic of discussion for as long as I can remember.&#0160; Most recently and the focus of my attention has been how weight directly affects the quality of a person’s life, both physically and mentally.&#0160; I dedicate many words in this blog to the physical implications of a healthy weight, but not so much to the mental stress overweight carries.&#0160; No matter what Oprah says, and this is only my personal observation and opinion, people that are overweight or obese are generally not as happy with their life as people who are “healthy” thin (you can be un-healthy thin too).&#0160;</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Weigh Scale" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b01676024ffcf970b-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Weigh Scale" /></a><br />I can remember as a kid, my mother asking if she looked good and she was never overweight a day in her life.&#0160; Most of the women that are close enough in my life to even discuss the subject have at some time been focused on their weight, and given the crowd of guys I’ve hung out with over the years; (cyclists, triathletes, runners, etc), well&#0160;they&#39;re also particularly interested in the topic.&#0160; In fact, I joked that hard core cyclists are more concerned about their weight than international super models.&#0160;</p> <p>This is actually a complex topic.&#0160; Just look at all the books, web sites, news articles, magazines, &#0160;blogs, etc. that are dedicated entirely to the subject.&#0160; &#0160;With all the opinions floating around to explain the complexities of a person’s weight, it really just comes down to two issues, 1) health and how your weight affects it, and 2) vanity, how you and others perceive your size.&#0160; The article below and I would have to say, most attention on the topic deals with the latter.&#0160; And even many health advocates are simply hiding behind the &quot;be healthy&quot;trend and are really promoting vanity packaged up with&#0160;the health wrapper.</p> <p>Now is the time of year when every second commercial is from some diet company that feeds off the insecurities of an individual’s self image.&#0160; Now that more than 65% of North Americans are either overweight or obese, the market share for these vampires has grown significantly (pardon the pun).&#0160; The fact that there is so much attention in the media, internet, etc. focused on this one topic, even if you don’t have a weight issue, like my mother, you still think you do.&#0160; Given the majority of people in North America <strong>DO</strong> have an unhealthy weight and have issues with their appearance; the industry of “Diet” is preparing to receive revenues of unprecedented proportions to “Fix the Problem”.&#0160; To further fuel the fire, I even heard on talk radio the other day a scientist say that being overweight should be considered a “disease” and treated as such.&#0160; This is as low as it can get, as this person is using science to justify their next financial grant to perform more “junk science” on a issue where the cause and effect are well know.&#0160;</p> <p>So the question I have, given the content of the article below, are the people that put out the best seller diet books and expensive diet programs simply setting themselves up for an attractive income statement, or do they really care about the health of the people that purchase their products and diet systems?&#0160; My personal opinion is to follow the money and you’ll find your answer.&#0160; The answer is simple and inexpensive, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly and your weight will take care of itself.</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Diet Cycle" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b0168e525b893970c-800wi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Diet Cycle" /></a><br />However, if you do engage in one of the many diet programs, pick one that has an end point of eating a well balanced food plan with lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, a healthy amount of high quality protein, healthy fats and limit the sugar and starchy carbohydrates.&#0160; And do it with a bigger purpose than just fitting into a smaller size. Vanity will only get you so far.&#0160; Don’t become another statistic of the majority of people that lose a load of weight, only to gain it all back again when they lose their short-term motivation.&#0160; Do it because you want to increase the quality of your life 20 years from now.</p> <p>Enjoy the Ride....Rob</p> <p><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Bédoin-20110814-00382" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b" height="229" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b016760252f7a970b-800wi" title="Bédoin-20110814-00382" width="211" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>It’s time to shed the tyranny of dieting – losing weight is a losing battle </strong></span></p> <p><strong>Globe and Mail Update &#0160;&#0160;&#0160;Jan. 07, 2012 </strong></p> <p><strong>Elizabeth Renzetti</strong></p> <p>One of the commercials in a new campaign to counter childhood obesity in Georgia shows a boy sitting on a folding chair, who says quietly, “Mom, why am I fat?” I was hoping his mom, sitting across from him, might say, “Well, son, let’s talk about how <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2011/11/pizza-is-now-a-vegetableno-really.html" target="_blank" title="Pizza is a Vegetable">Congress thinks that the tomato sauce on pizza qualifies as a vegetable in school meals </a>…” but she didn’t. She bowed her head in silent shame.</p> <p>The contentious campaign, called Strong4Life, features a parade of sad-faced, overweight children wondering how they ended up this way. The ads are directed at the kids, and not at the advertisers who push ChoccyMallow Breakfast Surprise, or the restaurant chains that hand them a plate the size of an elephant’s foot and invite them to pile it high for less than the cost of a cauliflower.</p> <p>My favourite ad – and I say “favourite” in the same way that I have a favourite <em>Friday the 13th</em> movie – is the one featuring a grim girl, her arms folded above the slogan: “It’s Hard to Be a Little Girl if You’re Not.” Why not go all the way, I thought, and borrow the slogan that the manufacturers of RyKrisp used to prey on women’s insecurities in the 1950s: “Nobody Loves a Fat Girl!”</p> <p>The fat girl volcano is this way, ladies, if you’d like to follow me, and toss yourselves in. The line is long, and stretches through the centuries. I know this thanks to a new book, Louise Foxcroft’s <em>Calories &amp; Corsets: a History of Dieting over 2,000 Years</em>, which reveals that our obsession with slimness, and our demonization of fat, has an impressive history. There is no better time to read it than in this month of wretched self-loathing.</p> <p>As long as people have looked down at their muffin tops (or their suet crusts) and winced, slimming gurus have lined up to profit from the shame. The first diet bestseller was published in the 15th century, writes Ms. Foxcroft, a British historian of medicine. Three centuries later, the noted gourmet Brillat-Savarin was an early proponent of the low-carb diet, a bit like a Reign of Terror Dr. Atkins. Lose weight, he advised, or “become ugly, and thick, and asthmatic, and finally die in your own melted grease: I shall be there to watch it.” I doubt Weight Watchers will be adopting that slogan any time soon.</p> <p>Dieting, over the years, has been sold as a moral imperative, a patriotic duty, a Christian obligation. In the mid-20th century you could turn to <em>Pray Your Weight Away</em> or <em>Devotions for Dieters</em>, which included this desperate plea to the Almighty to save a sinner from pie: “I promise not to sit and stuff/But stop when I have had enough. Amen.” It wasn’t just that you hated your chunky thighs; God was repulsed, too.</p> <p>Ms. Foxcroft is very canny about the way health concerns are used to disguise what is essentially an aesthetic distaste for chubbiness. Fat has long been seen as a moral and intellectual failing: “The stupid, heavy, non-intellectual person, or the idiot, is generally fat and flabby,” wrote one 19th-century English doctor.</p> <p>Not much has changed, even if we now put pillows around our language to guard against offence. “No one wants to be fat,” Tara Parker-Pope wrote recently in a fascinating and much-discussed article in The New York Times Magazine. “In most modern cultures, to be fat … is to be perceived as weak-willed and lazy.”</p> <p>At the centre of her piece, The Fat Trap, is a paradox: Dieters, including Ms. Parker-Pope, actually work incredibly hard at losing weight. I doubt the physicists at CERN pay as much attention to numbers as the successful dieters she interviews, who weigh every gram of food that goes into their mouths and calculate every calorie burned on their bikes. But maintaining your new slim figure, as science shows, is very difficult and most people regain their spare tires, unless they’re willing to devote every waking moment to banishing thoughts of doughnuts. Losing weight, which is supposed to liberate, instead becomes a prison.</p> <p>In America alone, the diet industry is worth $40-billion, slightly more than the GDP of Costa Rica. Every person who fails at a diet and embarks on another fattens the pocket of whoever is selling some chimerical notion of beauty. To what end, you have to wonder. For centuries, people in the West have been trying to lose weight – not for reasons of health, but for reasons of status – and it’s a losing battle. Maybe it’s time to refashion the RyKrisp slogan, and spell it out in chocolate chips: “Nobody loves a fat girl … except herself.”</p>tag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b0133ec76217b970bthere is no finish line...enjoy the ride...http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/collectiontag:api.typepad.com,2009:6e0133ec75f790970b015438d793e7970c Robert Armstrong posted an entry http://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/post2011-12-24T18:31:22Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6a0133ec75f790970b01675f4ce37f970bKeep the Streak Alive - New Year's Resolutionhttp://activitystrea.ms/schema/1.0/article2011-12-24T18:31:22Ztag:api.typepad.com,2009:6p0133ec75f790970bRobert Armstronghttp://profile.typepad.com/6p0133ec75f790970b<p>The NEW YEAR is almost upon us and every year people make all kinds of resolutions.&#0160; Can you guess what is the number one resolution is for 2012?&#0160; If you guessed something to do with getting fit, losing weight, eating a healthier diet, you’re right.&#0160; I made such a resolution in 1979 when&#0160;L was out of shape and overweight.&#0160; I made&#0160;that resolution and have kept it alive by making my health a priority evry day since then.&#0160; And as a token measure of this commitment, I have worked out every Christmas and New Years day for the past 32 years.&#0160; This symbol of commitment to my health is as important as putting up the Christmas tree.</p> <p>If I told you a new pill that could be found on the drugstore shelf that promises to strengthen your heart, manage your weight and boost your spirits and self confidence, you would probably dismiss my suggestion as &quot;snake oil&quot;. &#0160; But <em><strong>exercise (</strong></em>even a <strong><em>brisk walk)</em></strong> does all this and more!&#0160; Walking is simple, and doesn&#39;t cost a cent and if you haven&#39;t been active for a while, it&#39;s a gentle low-impact exercise to ease you into a higher level of fitness and health.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b013488e12176970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="WalkForLife" border="0" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b013488e12176970c-800wi" title="WalkForLife" /></a>&#0160;</p> <p>With every passing year of your life, you have more to gain from being physically active and paying close attention to what goes in your mouth.&#0160;&#0160;As age-related risks of chronic degenerative disease increase, regular exercise and a healthy diet will either slow or reverse that trend.&#0160; In fact, you&#39;re even more likely to notice the benefits of regular exercise and healthy food choices if you already have chronic health conditions.</p> <p>Will&#0160;you ever be fit again, and stay that was&#0160;as long as you live? The answer is <strong>NO</strong>, unless you make a resolution to get fit and turn it into a habit .&#0160; So the issue isn’t whether you need one more article describing all the benefits of exercise and diet, no, the post is how does one make heathy life choices automatic HABITS.&#0160;</p> <p><strong>How long does it take a HABIT to become AUTOMATIC?</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>Say you want to create a new lifestyle habit, like regular exercise, how often does it need to be performed before it no longer requires Herculean self control to become a habit?</p> <p>Clearly it’s going to depend on the type of habit you’re trying to form and how determined you are in pursuing your goal.&#0160; Ask Mr. Google and you’ll get a figure of somewhere between 21 and 28 days. In fact there’s no solid evidence for this number.&#0160; The 21 day habit myth came from a book published in 1960 by plastic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz&#0160;when he noticed that amputees took, on average, 21 days to adjust to the loss of a limb and he argued that people take 21 days to adjust to any major life changes.</p> <p>According to Clinical Psychologist Dr. Peter H Brown, two significant factors influence the time it takes a behavior to become an automatic habit, 1) how bad do you want it, and 2) how life changing is the behavior.&#0160; Given these two variables the average time to form a habit is 66 days and can swing from as low as 18 days to as high as 254 days.&#0160;&#0160;</p> <p>Back in&#0160;1979 when I made my resolution and started running again, I hated every step at the beginning, but it only&#0160;took a couple months to make running an automatic daily habit and although I switched to triathlons and cycling since then, exercise has always been a life&#0160;priority that’s as automatic as breathing. &#0160;</p> <p><strong>Make your HABIT HAPPEN</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>I think I’ve heard just about <a href="http://www.nofinishlineblog.com/2010/11/15-common-exercise-excuses.html" target="_blank" title="Excuses">every excuse why people don’t exercise </a>and make their personal health a high priority over the years. Here are the top 10:</p> <ol> <li>I’m too old to exercise, besides health is for the young, not the old</li> <li>I’m too fat and embarrassed the way I look to exercise</li> <li>I’ve tried to exercise in the past and it’s just something I’m not good at</li> <li>I can’t afford to exercise as gym memberships are far too expensive for my budget</li> <li>I hate exercising, it’s so boring</li> <li>I have the genetics that prevent me from losing weight, so why bother exercising</li> <li>I can’t exercise because there’s no gym near my house</li> <li>I can’t exercise because I don’t know how to start</li> <li>I can’t exercise because I don’t own any fitness </li> <li>I can&#39;t exercise because I&#39;m too tired</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b013488e176c5970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="No-excuses" border="0" src="http://www.robarmstrongblog.com/.a/6a0133ec75f790970b013488e176c5970c-800wi" title="No-excuses" /></a>&#0160;<br /><strong><em>“If you don’t have time to exercise today, you&#39;ll have lots of time to be sick in the future”</em>&#0160; </strong><em>Dr. Kenneth Cooper</em></p> <p><strong></strong>By far, the number one excuse I hear more than all the other excuses combined is, “<strong>I’m too busy and don’t have time to exercise</strong>.”&#0160; Well, if this excuse were true, why are the gym’s, roads and pathway’s full of people that CAN make time in there schedules.&#0160; People that exercise have schedules that are just as busy as people that don’t.&#0160; So the real reason why people can’t find time to exercise is that their personal health and the health of their families&#0160;isn&#39;t a priority.</p> <p><strong>How do you form a good Habit</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>So let’s take a look at how you can make exercise or other positive life choices automatic habits that are hard to break.</p> <ol> <li>You need to pick a habit or goal that’s realistic.&#0160; Deciding to run for 2 hours a day, for 3 months straight is a goal that will likely fail and lead to injury.&#0160; Set yourself up for success and pick a habit or goal that you can accomplish. &#0160; A goal like walking or going to the gym 5 days a week for the next 8 weeks is a good start.&#0160; &#0160;</li> <li>Pick an activity you enjoy.&#0160; I personally love cycling and my habit is so entrenched in my life that I’ve become a master of fitting a workout into my day regardless of how busy I am.&#0160; Daily exercise for me is my normal state and an unscheduled day off is an uncomfortable anomaly.&#0160;</li> <li>Once you’ve selected an activity you love to do every day and have set your goal, ask yourself WHY this goal is so important.&#0160; If you can’t come up with a solid reason or reasons to support your goal, success will be harder to achieve.&#0160; I coached my wife for a entire year in preparation to participate in a bike ride from Calgary Alberta to Austin Texas in support of Cancer Survivors. &#0160;Having big <strong>PURPOSE </strong>will provide the <strong>BIG </strong>motivation you need to succeed.</li> </ol> <p><strong>So here are some steps to set yourself up for success:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Write down your habit with specifics, like your goal, days per week you will exercise, time of the day, etc.&#0160; The more specific you are